SAVIOR
by vanillaszthevampire
Summary: "You've always been watching and protecting me…if it wasn't for you, I would've died a long time ago. You've always been there to catch me whenever I fell off the edge." "You're wrong. You were the one who showed me what love was when I was at my darkest point…I didn't save you, you saved me. And no matter what happens, you are, and forever will be my savior." KxZ!FULL SUM INSIDE!
1. PART 1 Chapter 1

** SAVIOR**

* * *

_**AU another School Fic but NO VAMPIRES!**_

_**I know this may have a few similarities with my other school fic, but what can I say, I love our little Zero-kun playing the delinquent bad boy! ;)**_

_**WARNINGS: this is m/m slash! And even though it's mostly shounen ai, it may lead up to yaoi so if you don't like it don't read it! **__** There will also be scenes of abuse/torture and lot's of lemon! (thought it will take time to lead up to it) so be warned, this is rated M for a reason! :O**_

_**I'm only going to do the disclaimer once so: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE VAMPIRE KNIGHT CHARACTERS!**_

_**Just warning you now, updates may be a little slow but I'll try and post as frequently as possible! But since I'm rushing to post, there might be some spelling and grammar errors… sorry about that!**_

_**Also, characters may be slightly OOC, especially Zero since I'm going to make him a bit like a damsel in distress ;)**_

_**Zero: ….you're kidding right?**_

_**Me:…NOPE! :D You're going to be all weak and sad and then Kaname's going to saaaaveee youuu!**_

_**Zero: THE HELL IM LETTING THAT BASTARD SAVE ME!**_

_**Me: You don't have a choice. -.-' Now shut up and look cute so that we can start! *evil grin***_

* * *

**~SAVIOR~**

**PART ONE: FALLEN ANGEL**

_**Summary: **_**Poor Zero Kiryu's never had it easy. He lost his parents in a horrible accident, is beaten and abused at home by his only family left, and to top it all off he has some sort of rare heart condition that's killing him slowly. As he spirals downwards in despair, can the President of the Disciplinary Committee be the one to save him from his fate? Or will Zero succumb to the darkness within him? KxZ**

* * *

_**Chapter one- Meet Zero Kiryu**_

Zero Kiryu was exhausted.

He crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes as the last of the warm rays of the sunshine washed over him. He was lying on the school roof, (missing class no doubt,) but he just couldn't bring his tired body to move.

Not that it mattered, _"It's not like anyone would miss me."_ He thought bitterly. _"After all, I'm just the school delinquent."_

Although, even he had to admit, he certainly looked the part. With his shimmering silver hair, piercing lilac eyes, un tucked uniform, multiple ear piercings, and intercrit tattoo on his neck, it was no wonder he had earned that reputation! The fact that he gave a cold glare to anybody who tried talking to him didn't help. He was pretty antisocial as it was.

_"If they only knew…" _He sighed thoughtfully.

He winced as he sat up, and absent mindedly rubbed his aching shoulder.

The only good thing about having a reputation as a badass was that no one ever questioned the many bruises that covered his body. They would always assume it was just from some fight he got in.

"_That's right, no one would ever guess the truth."_

A shudder ran through his body as he thought of the hell that awaited him every night.

Just thinking of the hard cold eyes staring cruelly at his face as a whip lashed at his skin, caused another tremor to run through his body.

He blinked back the tears that always threatened to fall whenever he thought of _**H****im**__. _The physical pain from the torture always came second to the harsh insults thrown his way.

Zero quickly realized he was starting to hyperventilate just thinking about it, and quickly tried to steady his breath.

Closing his eyes, he tried his best not to think about it as he pushed himself up, and willed himself to stop swaying.

Once the dizziness subsided, and the mind-numbing pain dulled down to a constant throbbing, he figured he would be able to endure class without giving anything away.

He let his cold expression fall back on his face, (complete with his signature scowl,) and let the walls of his perfected mask come up once again.

With a final sigh, he made his way off the roof and headed back to class.

* * *

Kaname Kuran was sitting in another boring student council meeting.

As the President of the Disciplinary Committee, he knew it was his duty to not only attend, but to run every meeting, so he kept his expression emotionless and indifferent. However, in truth he was bored out of his mind.

He was so tired of walking around the school acting like the "School Prince" (He wasn't even sure how he managed to get that nickname!) while constantly being surrounded by squealing girls and having to keep his polite and charming smile on his face when in truth all he wanted was for them to shut up and leave him alone!

He sighed as he rubbed his temples. Just thinking about it was giving him a headache.

"So Takuma, what's next on the agenda?" He asked the vice president.

"Well, there've been a lot of complaints from teachers that punishments on students have been too lenient, while the students have complained that they're too harsh. So it was suggested that students should be allowed to have a trial to explain themselves before we; as members of the disciplinary committee, decide what their punishment should be."

"Very well, that seems fair enough." Kaname said while absent mindedly massaging his temples. He had an awful headache and it was getting worse by imagining the amount of extra work he was going to have to do now that we would have to arrange a trial for every single person who got in trouble.

"We should keep an extra good look out for those who will cause trouble." Aido snorted from his spot on the table.

"Something amusing Aido?" Kaname asked while raising an eyebrow delicately.

"No Kaname-sempai, it's just I can guess exactly who will end up being be the first one we test our new disciplinary actions on."

"Oh, and who would that be?"

"That pathetic rebel-wannabe Kiryu!"

"You mean Zero? I don't think he's so bad." Replied Shiki in a monotone voice.

"I agree." Replied Rima in an equally bored tone of voice

Everyone stilled for a second and was shocked, that the 2 quietest members of the DC actually spoke up! This grabbed the rest of the members' attention. Zero must have left quite an impression on them if they got them to talk!

Kain turned towards them, urging them to continue, but they just shrugged. It was obvious they weren't going to say anything more, so Aido soon composed his shock and continued.

"If you can't see what an annoyance he is than you're both idiots! That damn delinquent can't go a day without getting in trouble! If he actually does show up to class, he sleeps straight through it! And everyone knows he gets into fights like every day. He has plenty of bruises to prove it! I wouldn't be surprised if he's part of a gang or something! Anyway, he gets detentions daily, so I'm positive he will be our first test subject."

Ruka scoffed in distaste for the troublemaker before nodding her head in agreement to what Aido was saying.

Kaname raised his eyebrow at this but otherwise said nothing. It was true that Zero Kiryu skipped class often, and just today when he did come to class, it was obvious he was tired although he did not fall asleep this time.

Come to think of it, he had noticed he seemed pretty banged up, but for some reason he didn't get that kind of vibe that Aido was talking about from him…instead he thought that Kiryu seemed quite sad, and alone.

_..._

_*flashback to earlier that day*_

_Zero Kiryu walked in to class late with a scowl on his face. The class immediately quieted down, in surprise and then erupted into whispers. Zero simply gave a cold hard glare at them and the class shut up once again._

_Ignoring the normal looks he was so used to getting, he took his usual seat on the second row next to the window. He tried to hide his grimace as he sat down, since his back was still extremely sore. _

_He felt more than tired, he was positively exhausted! And would have liked nothing more to put his head down and sleep. Aside from his multiple beatings, the night before, he had ended up having to work overtime and barely got any sleep at all!_

_But he knew he was getting on the teacher's last nerve, and the only reason he wasn't kicked out or had harsher punishments for skipping classes other than his usual detentions; was because he managed to keep top grades of the class. _

_Well other than Kaname. But ofcource it was expected that the "School Prince" got the highest marks. _

_Still, Zero was a close second. And there was a test coming up, so he knew it would do well to pay attention. _

_So Zero admirably straightened his posture and tried his best to listen. Unfortunately, that was proven to be an incredibly hard task since every time he shifted slightly in his seat, a wave of pain would erupt from somewhere on his body. _

_Stifling what felt like his hundredth groan, Zero gave up focusing and decided to just try and get through the class without passing out._

_After what seemed like an eternity, the bell finally rung, signaling it was time for the next class. Luckily for the silverette, he had lunch next. _

_The teen slowly got up, trying not to aggravate his injuries, and made his way out of the class. However on his way out a girl with thick glasses and 2 short braids accidently knocked into him. He managed not to wince, but couldn't help the shark intake of breath as she collided with his bruised (if not broken) ribs._

_"I-I-I'm so s-sorry!" The girl stuttered wide eyed as she trembled in her shoes._

_Despite the immense pain, Zero almost snickered, She was clearly afraid for her life that the "Demon delinquent" was going to kill her for bumping into her. "As if I even could." Zero thought with a mental eye roll. He couldn't help but let slip a sigh, but after realizing he had done so aloud, he quickly gave the girl a sharp look. _

_"It's fine." He said coldly before pushing past her and walking out._

_Zero never noticed the pair of chocolate brown eyes on him, watching him throughout the whole ordeal._

_*end flashback*_

...

Yes, now that Kaname thought about it, he was sure that Zero looked in pain when that girl had whacked into him.

"_Surely she hadn't knocked him too hard, so that must've meant he had bruises from before. But from what? Maybe Aido was right, and he had been in some sort of fight. Then again, if he was as bad as the rumors were, he could have snapped at that girl, instead of just letting her go. Not only that but he even insisted that it was fine…"_

Kaname shook his head quickly. And found himself questioning why on earth he even cared. Clearing his throat, he addressed the rest of the council members.

"No matter. We will keep an eye on the students carefully and the next one to cause trouble will be the candidate for a test run of a disciplinary trial."

They all murmured their agreements. And Kaname was pleased to note they had been able to settle this whole matter quickly. Of course they would still have their after school meeting, but for now it meant that they actually had enough time for lunch! Everyone seemed to be having the same thoughts, so the Student council happily made their way to the cafeteria.

* * *

Zero sighed. It was his lunch hour now and the pain was getting pretty hard to ignore.

He debated going to the nurse office since he and the nurse Kaito were on pretty good terms.

Kaito just finished medical school so he's still pretty young. According to the many stories he often told Zero, he used to be a pretty "bad ass" kid himself during his high school days. And so thankfully, he never really asks questions, or judges why Zero is always coming in with worse bruises than before.

Zero is grateful for his weird sort of understanding; in fact it could even be called friendship. Even if it is all a lie, Zero prefers it this way.

He would rather that Kaito sees him as a troubled teen venting out his anger, than an abused teen hiding his miserable home life.

Even so, lately his injuries have been getting worse. And Even Kaito wouldn't be dumb enough to believe he got it all from some fist fight…So Zero's been extra careful only going to the nurse when it was absolutely necessary, and only asking him to treat the visible injuries. He made sure to keep the many scars on his back and chest a secret.

He silverhead sighed once again.

"_If I visit Kaito, that would be the third time this week, and it's not even Friday! Besides, the thing bothering me the most is my bruised ribs, and there's no way I would be able to lift up my shirt without having to explain the dozens of cuts and scars littering my chest! __No, it's too risky, Kaito would definitely be suspicious."_

Making up his mind, Zero debated on whether he should go back to the roof to sleep, or to head to the cafeteria to eat. His stomach grumbled loudly making the decision for him.

_"Looks like the caf it is."_

Now that he thought about, when was the last time he ate? He hadn't had time to eat before work, and after his 8 hour shift, he hadn't been allowed to eat dinner when he got home for some sort of "punishment" Then he had been so tired he over slept and missed his breakfast.

In fact, it had been like this for a while now, he was sure he hadn't eaten anything more than a slice of toast and some crackers in the past few days. He already knew he been noticeably losing weight, but he hadn't realized just how starving he truly was!

When he got to the caf he realized with a pang of disappointment he had no money to buy anything! _**He **_never gave him a dime to spend on food, and he wouldn't be getting his pay check till another few days!

Moaning in frustration, he had no idea what to do! Normally, he would skip lunch again like he always did, but this time he was so starving. He knew he couldn't go on much longer not eating like this. He was already weak enough as it was!

He could ask someone for money…but that thought quickly left his mind. There was no way he was going to be so pathetic! Besides, it wasn't like he even had any friends he could ask even if he wanted to.

_"I should just leave, what's one more day without food going to do?"_

But as he was getting ready to leave, his stomach growled loudly in protest, almost as if it was begging to be fed.

Biting his lip in uncertainty, Zero spotted a lone package of cookies sitting on one of the shelves, and desperation took over. Without really thinking, he grabbed the bag of cookies and stuffed it under his shirt.

No sooner had he tried to hurriedly walk away did a hand land firmly on his shoulder.

"Kiryu-kun, I believe you forgot to pay for that."

Trying to hide his shock, Zero turned around to stare into the face of none other than the President of the Disciplinary Committee; Kaname Kuran.

* * *

_**So what did you think? Poor Zero-kun getting caught by stealing those cookies! And he calls himself a badass…tsk tsk.**_

_**Also does anyone have any guesses on who the "he" is that Zero is so afraid of? Heehee, I'm sure you have a few ideas, but I won't be revealing it just yet! ;)**_

_**Anyway, I know this is starting out rather light, but I promise it will get much darker soon… muahaha!**_

* * *

**Ps: (Just so you don't get confused**) _"thoughts are in italics" _"speech is normal"


	2. PART 1 Chapter 2

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter two- Perspective**_

* * *

"_Shit."_ Thought Zero worriedly. _"I am so stupid! Why on earth didn't I check to make sure no one was watching me?!"_

Internally, he was angrily scolding himself, however on the outside, his face was passive. Remembering to play up to his reputation, he raised one eyebrow cockily.

"Oh did I? My bad."

He flung the pack of cookies back onto the shelf and turned to walk away, but Kaname's voice rung out and stopped him.

"Kiryu-kun. You know as head of the disciplinary committee, I cannot allow you to walk away without consequence from your actions."

"Tch. Whatever."

"I'm afraid you will have to come to the Student Council office after school so that your punishment will be decided."

This quickly got Zero's attention; but he managed to keep his cool exterior despite the bubble of fear that he experienced every time he thought of what happened once school was out.

"After school? Sorry princess, I got plans." He said smoothly.

Aido, who had overheard the discussion, came up behind Kaname protectively.

"How dare you speak so disrespectively to the president!" He shouted angrily.

Aido's loud outburst immediately attracted the attention of the rest of the members of the DC, as well as most students present in the cafeteria.

Zero hated scenes; and his dislike for the shorter blonde just grew immensely with all of his uncalled for hollering! Especially since Kaname had not reacted to his little insult, he had half a mind to tell Aido to shut up and let his dear little president handle his own battles!

However, before he could speak any further, Kain quickly came up and put a hand on his growling cousin to try to get him to calm down.

Kaname; used to all the attention, seemed unphased by all of this and continued speaking normally, even as the DC circled around them to see what the problem was.

"I'm afraid that is not my problem. You will report to the Student Council Room at 4:00 sharp. If you insist on denying a request from the President of the Committee, than I suggest you take it up with the Headmaster himself."

Zero tried not to growl in anger although he was fairly certain his scowl increased tenfold.

"Fine, I will!" _"God damn arrogant President."_ He mumbled under his breath.

If Kaname heard him, he pretended not to notice. Instead he simply smirked and decided to call on Zero's bluff.

Turning to Takuma, he motioned for him to come forward.

"Very well then. Takuma, please escort Kiryu-kun to the main office. And while you're there let Headmaster Cross know that we will be trying out our new discipline methods today, and Kiryu-kun here will be our first test-subject."

Zero glared daggers at Kaname, and if looks could kill the brunette would most certainly be dead.

But one thing was for sure; If Kaname expected him to back down, he was seriously mistaken. Without another word, Zero turned around and stomped off towards the office. Before pausing to turn back.

"Coming Takuma?" He asked mockingly.

A little surprised that Zero was actually going to see the headmaster, Takuma hurriedly nodded and walked after Zero.

* * *

"Ahh, sorry about this Zero…"

Takuma didn't really know what to say, taking Zero to the office was a bit…awkward to say the least.

Zero just shrugged, "Not your fault." He mumbled.

Zero actually didn't mind Takuma that much. He was always cheerful and smiling. He secretly longed to feel that way, and was glad that at least one person was be genuinely happy with life. He sighed as he pushed open the familiar door to Headmaster Cross' office.

"Ichijo-kun, Zero-kun! What a pleasant surprise! Well, maybe not too much of a surprise for Zero-kun, but what brings you to my office?" Cross beamed cheerfully.

"Uhmm…" Takuma started nervously immediately noticing the casual way Cross said Zero's name, meaning he must have been here quite often.

"It's fine, I'll explain the situation." Zero said gruffly.

"Oh, okay then. Headmaster Cross, Kaname-sempai wanted to inform you that we will be testing out our new student trial used for determining punishments, it seems Zero will be our first test subject."

Cross said nothing to this, but raised an eyebrow

"Oh, and I suppose my dear Zero-kun will be explaining to me exactly what he did to get this honor?"

Zero just rolled his eyes in response.

"Very well, thank you Ichijou-kun! Now hurry along if you want to have any time to finish your lunch!"

Takuma smiled, and with a wave he hurried off leaving the Headmaster alone with Zero.

The headmaster sighed as he focused his chilling gaze onto the lilac orbs in front of him.

"So, you want to explain what you did this time?"

* * *

Kaname smirked.

_"So Zero actually went along with his bluff huh?"_

He couldn't help but be a little curious as to what was so important after school that he was willing to meet the Headmaster about it.

"_Perhaps he was planning on meeting with "his Gang" like Aido seemed to think…or maybe he had a date?"_

Once again, Kaname found himself shaking his head and wondering why he even cared. He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even realized Takuma was back until the bubbly blonde started speaking.

"I informed the Headmaster of what you asked me." He said with a smile, slipping into his usual seat beside Kaname.

"Good. And what about Kiryu-kun, did he seem nervous?"

"Not at all! It seems he and the Headmaster get along quite well."

"I see." Kaname replied nonchalantly as he stabbed a piece of lettuce with his fork.

Externally he was the perfect picture of calm; however, internally his mind was churning. He didn't know why Zero intrigued him, but he did! And now that it seemed like he was close with Cross himself, the mystery of the boy only continued.

"_Zero Kiryu…who are you?"_

Before he lost his nerve, he excused himself from the table, making some excuse about checking up on some files, and swiftly made his way to the Headmaster's office.

Telling himself not to feel guilty, it wasn't technically a lie. After all, he did plan on checking up on a certain silver head's file.

And although he confidently re-assured himself he was doing this strictly for business, and it had nothing to do with his curiosity… well denial had never been one of his strong points.

Finally reaching the main office, he smiled in triumph as he slipped through the doors. Because of his authority as School President, none of the staff questioned him as we walked towards the filing cabinet directly behind the Headmaster's personal office and pretended to busy himself as he listened in.

* * *

Zero sighed, he was dreading this.

Cross had always such a nice and understanding man, (if not a little childish) and always referred to the students as his "children".

Still, a part of him was always unsure whether Cross was only nice to him out of pity. He had been close with his parents before they passed away in the car accident, and was one of the few people aware of his "condition."

The personal information stopped there however; and like everyone else, he was un aware of his abuse.

And Zero would like to keep it that way.

But every time he talked to Cross, he felt like the man was seeing through his semi-lies and half excuses! He actually hated disappointing the headmaster, but it was always better than him finding out the truth…he knew too much about him already.

"I tried to steal a bag of cookies." Shrugged Zero.

It was only once he said it out loud did he realize how lame it sounded. Zero actually almost blushed. _Almost._

"And why did you do that Zero-kun?"

Before he could answer, his stomach growled loudly. This time, Zero did blush. Especially since Cross looked more concerned than mad.

"Zero-kun, when was the last time you ate?" His tone took on a more serious voice than the previous childish one, indicating he was not going to let this go so easily.

Zero just shrugged in response.

"If you were hungry you could have just asked!"

The headmaster then went into his desk drawer and took out his own lunch (which had been a sandwich) and held it out to the hungry teen.

Zero tried to decline, but Cross insisted. Grumbling, he finally accepted, and tore into it hungrily; he was after all famished.

"So that's it, you didn't have money for lunch did you." Cross said with a sad sigh as he observed the boy devouring the food in front of him.

Zero just shrugged again.

"Zero, if money is a problem, you know I would be happy to-"

"NO!' Zero cut him off abruptly. "I'm fine. It's just the money I have usually goes on meds so there's never really much left" He said sheepishly.

Cross nodded his head sympathetically, while Zero gave a mental sigh. He hated that on top of everything else he had his sickness to worry about.

When he was younger, he and his younger twin used to always play together. Zero had always been the stronger twin, but that quickly changed after his parents' accident.

They first found out about Zero's heart condition when the 2 twins were taken to the hospital to deal with trauma. There, they found out that the reason Zero had always seemed stronger was because his body had been constantly pumping adrenaline to keep him alive. In truth, his heart was deteriorating.

Since it hadn't been treated for so long, his heart was already at a 'level D' which is a very late stage on the condition. It is rapidly approaching level E and when it does, there will be nothing to save him and his heart will stop. The doctor had sadly informed them that since this was such a rare condition, they had yet to find a cure. And even if they had, it was much too late to for treatment when it was in such a late stage of detoriation.

The only thing Zero could do now is take pills to slow down the process. However, this does not fully fix the problem, and instead merely prolongs the inevitable.

Zero hates taking those pills. Not only do they cost him every last bit of money he has, but they cause awful side effects such as blurry vision, trouble breathing, dizziness, headaches, and extreme drowsiness.

But as much as Zero detests those god forsaken pills, he knows he cannot live without them.

The Silverette shuddered as he remembered the times _**He **_had taken his pills away as a form of "punishment" Those were the worst punishments of all! He would rather suffer through the side effects than suffer through the immense pain of feeling his heart slowly fail.

Shaking his heads out of depressing thoughts, he realized the Chairman had been staring at him for some time now.

"Zero, I understand your situation, but I am already doing you a favor by overlooking the fact that you have a job when you know it is strictly forbidden to have work when going to this academy…"

Zero nodded at this. He knew the chairman was risking his neck out for him.

"So I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to go to the Student Council and follow through with whatever the Disciplinary Committee decides."

Zero sighed but nodded. He got up to leave, but stopped as the Headmaster gently grabbed his wrist.

"Zero, please. Next time come to me if things get so bad that you need to resort to stealing."

Feeling slightly ashamed, Zero nodded then quickly rushed out of the room, not noticing the pair of chocolate brown eyes watching him solemnly from the side of the room.

* * *

Kaname watched as Zero made a hasty exit, obviously so deep in thought he did not even notice Kaname standing there.

Kaname meanwhile was shocked of what he had overhead!

"_So that's why Zero stole? Because he had no money for food?" _

He immediately felt bad for assuming the worst. Not only that, but to find out he had been managing school with a job as well!

"_That must've been why he was adman about being busy after school." _

Thinking back to their conversation, there were still a few things he didn't understand, and he was definitely curious about this so called medical condition.

So making sure no one was watching him, he swiftly went through the filing cabinet before pulling out Zero Kiryu's personal records.

Flipping through the pages, his eyes widened as he saw the extent of how serious his heart condition was.

"_According to this, Zero should be taking his pills multiple times a day with a large risk of heart failure if he were to ever miss a dosage…"_

With a new perspective on the silver head, Kaname left the office with a thoughtful expression on his face.

_"There is definitely a lot more than meets the eye with him."_

* * *

_**So what did you think? :] Yep, I decided to make Zero the weaker twin heehee! Also I am not a doctor, sp everything about Zero's condition is made up and any resemblance to an actual disease is purely coincidence! Thanks for the great response and number of views! I'll try to update soon, but will be updating my other story first so the next chapter may not come as quick :[ bare with me! *hugs!***_


	3. PART 1 Chapter 3

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter three- Half Truths and Half Lies**_

* * *

Zero ended up ditching his last few classes, and found himself back on the roof.

He had spent the last few hours wondering what excuses he was going to have to give his boss for missing work. He really needed the money, and his pill supply was already low.

"_Maybe I'll work a double shift tonight to make up for it?" _

Thinking of his pills, suddenly made him remember he hadn't taken any yet today! He had been skipping his regular dosage since there were so few pills left, and he wouldn't be able re-stalk until _**He**_ allowed him to.

Biting his lip as he did the calculations, he knew he really shouldn't wait any longer. So pulling the small bottle out of his pocket, he was just about to open the lid when he heard a voice behind him.

"There you are! Don't think you could avoid us just because you skipped class!"

Zero quickly put the pills back in his pocket and turned around to face a smug looking Aido and Kain.

"Hmph. We're here to escort you to the student council room." Kain said as he sent him a wary look that promised punishment if he misbehaved.

Zero just glared coldly and then rolled his eyes and followed them.

"Whatever. This is just a waste of time." He muttered.

Aido turned back angrily. "Shut up! If anything is a waste of time it's YOU. Kaname-sama has more important things to worry about, but he's taking time out of his busy schedule to decide on a suitable punishment. So you better appreciate it!"

Zero snorted. Which only aggravated Aido even more. Kain was impassive and didn't say much but gave a cold hard stare at Zero as if to dare him to say anything else. Zero just sighed, he just wanted to get this over with and hurry home. After all _**He**_ did not like to be kept waiting. Snapping out of his thoughts, he realized they were already at the Student Council room.

Kain opened the door and ushered him in. Zero was surprised to see the room had been converted into what looked like a judging panel at a court room. A long table sat dead center of the room with Kaname sitting in the middle. On his right was Takuma followed by Shiki and Rima. To his left sat Aido followed by Kain and Ruka. It seemed the left side of the table were all giving him death glares, while the Right side seemed impassive and expressionless. The only one who looked at him warmly was the Vice President Takuma.

"Zero! Welcome!"

Takuma stood up to greet him while Kaname just watched him with an unreadable expression.

"Okay so as you can see, this has been set up for a mock trial, so just step forward in front of the panel, state your case, and explain your side of the story. Then we will discuss and decide on your punishment. Kay?" He said brightly.

Zero just nodded numbly. His chest was starting to burn, and he was starting to regret waiting so long to take his pills. His throat felt dry and he gulped trying to sooth the ache.

"Zero? Whenever you're ready." Said Takuma with a slight concern in his voice. He had noticed how stiffly Zero was standing, and how heavily he was breathing.

"Zero…?"

Trying to ignore the discomfort, Zero opened his mouth to say something but could only gasp in pain as his chest suddenly convulsed in white hot agony! It felt like he was on fire! Clutching his chest, he collapsed on the floor gasping for air!

The Student Council stared frozen and wide eyed, not quite sure what was happening, but at a loss of what to do all the same!

Kaname immediately understood that Zero was having an attack, and from what he had read from his file, he needed his pills, NOW! Springing into action he dashed to Zero's side, and tried to hold down his spasmatic movements. Takuma was the next to follow while the rest of the council started to get a hold of themselves and rushed to Kaname's side.

"Zero. Can you hear me? Where are your pills?" Asked Kaname trying to remain calm.

Shaking and gasping for air, Zero somehow managed to point to his pocket.

Without wasting any time in hesitation, Kaname dove his hand into Zero's pocket and pulled out the pills. Looking around for something to give Zero, Kaname was slightly surprised when it was Aido who quickly threw him his personal water bottle.

Handing Zero the pills, Zero quickly tossed them in his mouth then shakily reached for the water. When it was clear Zero's shaky hands couldn't grasp the bottle, Kaname took the bottle and tipped it into Zero's mouth himself.

After a moment, Zero could feel the pills taking effect and his breathing slowly calmed down, while his shaking started to cease.

His moment of relaxation didn't last long when Kaname grabbed his shoulders and slammed Zero down into the ground!

"What the fuck Kuran?!" Swore Zero Angrily finally catching his breath enough to speak.

"WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG TO TAKE YOUR PILLS?!"

Zero momentarily blanched before mumbling "I-It's none of your business." _"How did he even know about them?! Did he see me taking them before?"_

"As President of this Committee, it is my business if a student almost DIES right here in my office!" He growled angrily.

"Look, I didn't want to risk the side effects okay?!" Snapped Zero.

"Side effects?" Asked a timid voice from the side.

That was when Kaname and Zero remembered they weren't the only ones in the room. In the midst of drama they had forgotten the rest of the council members were crowded around silently watching the exchange between their beloved president and school delinquent.

"Yea." Zero replied turning to face Takuma who had asked.

"They make my body weak and cause extreme drowsiness and light headedness among other unpleasant things, and the teachers are getting fed up with me falling asleep in class, even if it is for medical reasons." He mumbled sheepishly.

The council exchanged a guilty look among themselves. They had all just assumed Zero's sleeping in class was due to his laziness, they had no idea it was related to some sort of illness!

Feeling the pills starting to work, Zero immediately felt his eyes start to get heavy. They started drooping forward and he blinked hard to shake away the sleepiness. The council; seeing Zero's internal struggle to stay awake could tell he was not lying or trying to make up some excuse.

Kaname looked at the sleepy boy beneath him and then gave a quick glance to the council members who all still seemed shaken up by Zero's attack.

Sighing to himself he stood up before giving his hand to pull Zero up as well. Zero stared suspiciously at this hand before picking himself up on his own. Shrugging, Kaname turned to the rest of the council members.

"It seems we won't be able to continue with the trial since Zero is clearly exhausted."

Zero was too tired for a snarky remark, and just concentrated on staying awake. He could already feel himself starting to sway on his feet and was surprised yet grateful when Kaname's strong but gentle hand landed on his shoulder steadying him.

"I will escort Kiryu-kun home, and we will continue his trial tomorrow after school."

After getting nods of agreement from all the DC members, Kaname turned on his heel and led Zero out the door and towards a black limo waiting outside. Zero finally seemed to come to his senses and abruptly stopped when he realized he was about to get into a car with the school President!

"I can get back on my own. I don't need your help!" He spat angrily.

Kaname resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead calmly replied

"Zero stop being so stubborn and just get in."

The chauffer had already opened the door for them, so all that was left to do was to give Zero a light shove towards the inside of the car. Zero glared daggers, but couldn't do much else as Kaname slid in to the seat beside him and the driver edged out of the parking lot smoothly.

"Where's your address?" Zero seemingly distracted mumbled it out to the driver. Kaname's eyebrows shot up wide

"But that's a 45 minute drive; it's almost 2 hours by walking! Do you walk to school every day?"

Zero just shrugged before mentally kicking himself.

_"Damn it! Why did I tell him?! It's bad enough the 'school prince' is going to see I live in that hell hole. Which is a total and complete dump, but if __**He**__ finds out I got a ride home instead of walked, __**He's **__going to be pissed! And pissed means more punishment!"_ He though furiously.

Kaname; noticing Zero's sudden silence, figured he was having some sort of emotional turmoil and chose to say nothing more about the matter. Inside he was getting more and more curious,

"W_hy would Zero come all the way to this school? Surely there were other ones closer in the area. Although…of course this was a school for the gifted and brilliant, so it would make sense that people come out of their way to go here. But still, couldn't he get a ride?"_

Kaname debated offering to pick Zero up every morning, but he had feeling it wouldn't go by so well if he asked. Turning his attention back to Zero he was somewhat surprised to see the silverhead had fallen asleep. He was even more surprised when Zero shifted in his sleep so that he was resting his head on Kaname's shoulder.

A small smile ghosted on Kaname's face as he took in Zero's peaceful and serene expression. He hadn't noticed before but now that Zero was so close, he couldn't help but notice his long fluttery eyelashes, or his petal pink lips that were parted slightly open as he exhaled softly.

For a second…Kaname couldn't help but think that Zero looked kind of…beautiful.

_"He looks just like an angel. An angel that's fallen down to earth."_

* * *

Zero shifted awake and suppressed a groan. He didn't want to wake up and go to school! He wanted to stay sleeping against his very comfortable pillow. Nuzzling his face in the warmth, he suddenly realized that his pillow wasn't all that soft…and it had a pulse. Jerking awake he looked up to find himself still in the limo and staring into the amused expression of Kaname himself!

"_Please don't tell me I fell asleep on Kaname's shoulder!"_ He thought horrified to himself. _"Oh god! Was I just nuzzling his neck!?"_

"Have a nice nap Kiryu-kun?" Asked Kaname clearly trying to suppress a laugh.

Zero just narrowed his eyes into a glare as he scowled back.

"_It could have been worse, I could have fallen asleep on his lap!"_

Shuddering at the thought he realized the car wasn't moving and that they had already arrived at his house.

"How long have we been here?!" Asked Zero trying not to sound worried.

"An hour or so." Came Kaname's calm reply.

"AN HOUR?! WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME?! I- ARGH! Never mind." Snapped Zero as he got out of the car and slammed the door shut.

Kaname looked a bit shocked by his outburst, but regained himself before opening the car door to see Zero in.

"NO! I mean ah th-thanks for the ride. You can go now. It's not like I'm inviting you in." He mumbled embarrassingly.

Kaname raised an eyebrow and for a minute Zero was scared he was going to insist but instead he just got back in the car and rolled down the window.

"I'll see you at 4:00 tomorrow for your trial. Oh and Kiryu-kun…do try not to pass out on us this time."

With that, he rolled the window back up and the car slowly drove away.

Zero breathed a shaky sigh of relief. He didn't even want to think about what would have happened if Kaname came in.

Trembling slightly, he made his way to the door and braced himself for the beating he was about to receive.

He turned the door knob slowly and for a second he hoped maybe just maybe, _**He**_ wasn't home.

"_If I could just sneak up to my room, I could pretend I had been there the whole time!"_

Sadly, his hope shattered as the door was thrust open by none other than his tormentor.

"Zero. Well aren't you home late." Said a sickingly fake sweet voice that sounded so much like Zero's own.

Zero froze in the door way. Paralyzed in fear as he stared into haunting lilac colored eyes.

"Ichiru." He whispered.

* * *

_**Dumdumdum! The Mystery man is revealed! :O Yep, it's Ichiru! So next chapter may get a little violent as we get a taste of poor Zero's homelife! :( Thank you so much for all the views! And a special shout out to those who reviewed! *gives a big hug!***_

**All responses to my lovely reviews are on the new EXTRAS PAGE! So go check it out if you're looking for my reply! xoxo :]**


	4. PART 1 Chapter 4

**Fallen Angel**

_**NOTE: There are a lot of flashbacks in this one, so every time something is in italics, it's a flashback. Also, there are scenes of violence in this chapter...you have been warned!**_

_**Chapter four – Pain and Acceptance**_

* * *

"Ichiru." He whispered, paralyzed in fear.

"Hello dear brother." Smiled Ichiru evilly in return.

Ichiru stalked closer towards him and leaned over him so that their faces were inches apart. Ichiru then reached his arm over Zero's and locked the door behind him.

"Come, let's play." He whispered maliciously.

"I-"

Zero didn't even have a chance to say another syllable before he was slapped across the face so harshly that his head smacked against the wall! He barely had time to process the stinging on his cheek before he was backhanded again.

"Shut up. I don't want to hear your despicable voice." Whispered Ichiru maliciously.

He then grabbed a handful of Zero's hair and forcefully slammed his head back against the door.

Zero was already seeing stars but he knew the worse was still to come…

"Now Zero, you know the rules do you not?" Asked Ichiru sweetly as he dragged Zero into the kitchen.

"Y-yes!" Zero stammered, getting increasingly nervous as Ichiru stalked towards the kitchen drawer and pulled out a sleek knife.

He then pushed Zero up against the wall as he cowered over him, using the knife to slowly cut through the front of his shirt.

"Then why don't you tell them to me." He whispered seductively in Zero's ear as he pressed the blade against his neck.

Zero gulped and struggled to control his breathing the last thing he needed to do was hyperventilate!

"Always listen to you. Never question you. Always leave straight for school in the morning and come straight back. Never be late. Never bring anyone home. Never tell anyone-"

Zero had to stop from continuing when he felt the blade press deeper against his milky skin drawing a thin line of crimson blood.

"Stop there." He whispered darkly. "Not only were you late coming home, but you obviously went somewhere after school AND you selfishly got a ride home when you know fully well that part of your punishment is to walk!" His voice started getting louder the angrier he got. And Zero clenched his eyes tighter as he felt the knife digging deeper into his skin.

"And if that wasn't enough… you had the nerve to bring someone back with you!" Ichiru screeched loudly before finally removing the blade from his neck so Zero could speak.

"I didn't go anywhere I swear! And I tried to tell him not to give me a ride but-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DO NOT INTERUPT ME!" Roared Ichiru slamming Zero into the wall as his hand curled around his neck where the knife had been.

Zero whimpered in fear he knew what was coming.

"Now let's see, I believe the punishment is a broken bone for every rule you break. That's fair isn't it?"

He purred before tightening his grip on Zero's neck cutting off his air. As Zero struggled to breathe Ichiru just laughed insanely.

"That's it! I like it when you struggle. It makes it all more…entertaining."

He smirked as he watched Zero wriggle and squirm. Right before Zero was about to lose consciousness he let go and let Zero fall to the floor coughing and gasping for breath. Ichiru then squatted down so that he was facing Zero.

"Let's make one thing clear…if I thought for one second you broke the most important rule and told ANYONE about us you would be dead. The only reason you aren't is because I know you're too much of a pathetic coward to say anything." He laughed again at the pained expression on Zero's face. "Now. Let's have some fun! What bones shall we break today?"

The sound of maniac laughing and ear splitting screams could be heard loudly throughout the night

* * *

***time skip***

Kaname sat in the meeting room listening half heartedly to the discussion on how many days of detention needed to be given to a boy caught skipping class. He couldn't help his thoughts flitter back to Zero. He had been absent for 3 days. And just when he thought he was going to have to pass by Zero's house to make sure everything was okay he shows up at school looking like got run over by a truck and acting like everything was perfectly normal!

Frustrated Kaname let his thoughts reflect back to the day Zero finally showed up at school.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_Inside the Council Room, the Disciplinary Committee were busy gossiping._

"_I'm starting to get worried, he hasn't shown up again! Has anyone heard anything from him?" _

"_Well according to the headmaster his brother had called in and said he wasn't feeling too well."_

"_Ehh?! He has a brother?!"_

"_Yep! A twin! But apparently no one's ever met him. He doesn't go out much. He's home schooled or something and is like allergic to the sun."_

"_What is he some kind of vampire?"_

"_Pssht. Ya right! You believe in vampires?"_

"_Shut up!"_

"_Guys those are just rumors! He's not allergic to the sun, he just didn't get in this Academy. Besides, stop getting sidetracked! This is about Zero not his brother! Are you forgetting he almost died in here couple days ago? Of course he's busy re cooperating."_

_The class finally fell silent as they reflected the last time Zero was in there. It seemed none of them could get the image of Zero gasping on the ground out of their heads._

"_That was pretty intense. I really had no idea he had something so serious." Whispered Aido with something like a twinge of guilt in his voice._

"_Indeed." All heads of the gossiping Disciplinary Committee snapped up as they heard the voice of their leader walk through the door._

"_Kaname, what do you suppose we do about Zero? Is he going to be alright? Has his trial been moved? Have you heard from him?" Asked the worried voice of Takuma_

_Kaname raised his hand for silence. But before he could give an explanation the door banged open and Zero strolled in as if nothing was out of the ordinary._

"_Stop your yapping. I'm here alright." He said gruffly trying to ignore the looks of shock on their faces._

"_Z-Zero…what happened?" Asked Takuma shakily._

_Zero looked down and realized he did look pretty banged up. The funny thing was this wasn't even that bad, he had been through way, way worse. _

_Still, he supposed with his arm and wrist heavily bandaged and hanging from a sling, along with the many dark bruises decorating every visible part of his body, he assumed it did look bad. Not to mention he had a long gash at the side of his cheek, and his lip had obviously been split open and was red and swollen. Although his bangs managed to cover most of his forehead, a dark purple bruise still peeped out from under his fringe. There was also the fact that he was limping and was supported on one crutch. All in all, he guessed he really shouldn't be surprised on their expressions. _

_That still didn't stop him from shifting uneasily to the question. "Stay calm, I've gone over the answer to this question over and over. They can't, and won't be able to tell I'm lying! Just take a deep breath and say the lie you rehearsed in front the mirror." Zero mentally told himself. Taking a deep breath he looked Takuma straight in the eye and summoned all of his bad boy persona. _

"_Some idiot pissed me off when I was in a bad mood. Thought he could take me on, he was wrong. Of course with all his thug friends it wasn't exactly a fair fight...for them of course." He smirked cockily and raised an eyebrow almost challenging them to say otherwise._

_Aido snorted and rolled his eyes. "Typical." Zero heard him mutter._

_They had bought it. Zero breathed a sigh of relief, but then looked up quickly when he realizing for half a second he had let his mask slip! Scanning the group, it didn't look like any one had noticed…except Kaname. He was staring straight at him! "Shit!" Thought Zero but Kaname didn't seem to do anything but study him silently for a few seconds before finally shifting his gaze. _

"_Very well, we'll continue where we left on then." He said calmly motioning him to stand in the front of the table just as he had done those days before._

_Slightly surprised he wasn't going to question him further Zero nodded and hobbled awkwardly with his crutch till he was standing in front of the panel of Disciplinary members. He tried to focus on the lie he was about to tell, but couldn't help but worry Kaname would call him out on something._

"_Aido, state the case." Kaname called boredly_

_Aido eagerly got out of his seat and cleared his throat. "Zero Kiryu was caught stealing from the cafeteria on Tuesday the 29th. Kaname-sama was a witness to this act himself." _

"_Now Kiryu-kun, please explain yourself."_

_Zero just shrugged. He was anticipating this, and no way was he going to admit he was starving. He would play it off as he always did and take whatever punishment they gave him. _

"_I was hungry, didn't feel like waiting in line so I took the cookies. No big deal." He shrugged nonchalantly._

_All the other members looked annoyed with his obvious lack of care for rules. "Good, this means they're buying it." Thought Zero smugly._

_Kaname however bore his eyes into Zero's. He had overheard the conversation with Cross and knew the real reason he stole. "Why won't he just admit he was starving and didn't have the money?! We would have been able to go easier on his then!" thought Kaname frustratedly._

_After some discussion with Zero refusing to admit he stole for any other reason, and Kaname refusing to admit he had eavesdropped on the entire conversation with Cross; it was finally decided that Zero would help out in the cafeteria until they felt he had learnt his lesson. Zero was surprisingly silent and just nodded before walking out of the room. They didn't see him again for the rest of the day."_

_*END FLASHBACK *_

Coming out of his flash back Kaname shook his head. He was sure Zero was hiding something. And something about the story with that fight just seemed…_off._

Although Kaname had to admit, he was slightly impressed with Zero's ability to lie so easily. If he hadn't overheard what he did in Cross' office, he would have never guessed Zero was withholding the truth!

_"And if he can lie so easily about that...who knows what bigger things he be lying about?"_

Shaking his head once more, he decided he was determined to solve the mystery of who Zero Kiryu really was.

* * *

****time skip****

Zero was lying on the grass under the shade of a tree in the courtyard. It had only been a week since the incident and 4 days since his "conference" with the DC. It was his lunch hour and he knew he should have been helping out in the caf like his punishment stated but he just didn't feel like it. If Kaname was going to bitch about it to him then he'd let him.

Things like school were the farthest thing from his mind anyway. Sighing, he would have preferred the roof, but his ankle was still sore and he didn't particularly want to go up all those stairs with his crutch.

He was just glad he was able to sneak the crutch out of Kaito's office that day while he was on his lunch break! If he saw him, there would be no way to explain why he hadn't gone to the hospital with 3 broken fingers, a twisted ankle, and a sprained arm.

How could he have explained that he wasn't allowed to go to the hospital without risk of answering the questions on how it happened?!

Hospitals were different. You couldn't lie as easily because they had tools to get the proof to find out exactly what happened.

What was he to say if they found the large 3rd degree burn on his hip that was in the perfect shape of an iron? He couldn't very well lie his way out of that one!

Sighing he closed his eyes and tried to let the haunting memory drift away from his mind. That night was nothing more than a painful blur, but he could still remember bits and pieces…none of it was pleasant.

_Ichiru cradled Zero's limp body in his lap and stroked his hair in a mocking caress. _

_"Dear brother, have you given up on struggling already? That's no fun. Let's see if this will wake you up hm? After all I still have to punish you for the other two rules you've broken."_

_He then lifted Zero's hand and kissed it gently before holding it tightly against the wall and swinging a hammer on his fingers with all his strength! Ichiru smiled to himself in satisfaction as he heard the sickening crunch of bone shattering. He laughed manically as Zero's ear splitting scream filled the night._

Other parts of that night were nothing more than a haze

"_Zero, this hurts me more than it hurts you…" Ichiru whispered almost sadly as he swung the baseball bat high in the air before bringing it crashing down repeatedly against a cowering Zero in the corner."_

Zero didn't mind the bruises or the broken bones…they would heal. It was always the scars that hurt him the most. He knew he had dozens littering all over his body. He knew they made him ugly.

His thumb traced one of the recent ones from that night on the inside of his arm.

_Ichiru plunged the knife deep into his skin before slicing downward to form the letters excruciatingly and agonizingly slow._

_I-C-H-I-R-U was engraved deep into his skin. "You belong to me. Don't every forget that." He hissed._

_Zero just nodded tears pouring from his eyes._

Shuddering Zero looked away from his arm. He had worse. He didn't need to remember the memory of how he got it, to think about the word MURDERER engraved on his lower back.

Sighing, he decided that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was knowing he was helpless.

He remembered waking up in a pool of his own blood, frightened and alone; not having any idea what time it was, or how long he had been unconscious. He remembered stumbling to the washroom and fumbling with the first aid kit under the sink, clumsily trying to wrap his wounds because he knew he wouldn't let a doctor see this.

Yes, he was helpless. Helpless to do anything! Ichiru was just stronger than him. No how much he tried, he couldn't over power him.

"Yes, it's best to stop struggling and just take it."

He tried to remember a time where the smiling face of his brother didn't send chills down his back. He had almost forgotten that they had loved each other once. Now, all Ichiru's eyes were filled with was hatred.

"If only they didn't die." Zero whispered solemnly. And it was true, it was only after his parents death did his lovely little brother take a turn for the worst. He never forgot the rage that burned in his eyes the day of the accident.

"_IT 'S YOUR FAULT THEY'RE DEAD! YOU KILLED THEM! IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Screamed Ichiru at a tear faced Zero. _

Zero laughed bitterly and realized tears were streaming down his face.

"That's right. It's my fault. That's why I'll accept it. Accept the pain, accept the torture, and accept the insults. Because…I deserve it."

After all, Zero had stopped asking "why me" a long time ago.

"Rule number 7, never question, just accept." Zero whispered numbly.

* * *

_**So what did you think? Too harsh? There was lots of angst in this one, poor Zero :( Hope the flash backs weren't too confusing, this was my first time writing any form of "violent scene" so I'm not sure if I was that good at it, but hopefully you understand more of Zero's feelings now and see what he has to deal with on a daily basis. As for the accident with his parents, all will be revealed in due time. ;)**_

_**And LOL to my little vampire joke, I couldn't resist. ;P But like I said there's no vamps in this story they were just teasing. ;P**_

_**Next chapter involves Kana-Zero development! ;D a bit of fluff, and Kaname becomes closer to discovering the truth! :O**_

_**As always, I must thank all of you for the views, favouriting and follows, you guys are the best! Xoxo!**_

_**Of course, a special shout out to those who reviewed! It always inspires me to write more and update faster so thanks so much and I'm glad you're still enjoying! :D **__**All responses to my lovely reviews are on the new EXTRAS PAGE! So go check it out if you're looking for my reply! xoxo :]**_


	5. PART 1 Chapter 5

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter five – Suspicions**_

* * *

Kaname Kuran realized he had a problem. He was becoming obsessed.

Not that he was a stalker, oh no he hadn't crossed that bridge...yet.

What he could admit, was that ever since the incident in the council room, all of his thoughts had been consumed with a certain silverheaded delinquent.

Even in class instead of concentrating he found himself staring off into space, or looking out the window wondering what it was Zero would be doing right about then.

It was even worse when he was doing his disciplinary duties because every student who got in trouble would somehow remind him of "something Zero would do" He didn't even realize when it was he stopped referring to him as "Kiryu-kun" and started calling him by his first name…in his head of course.

He just couldn't figure out what it was about him that had him so intrigued! With his cocky attitude and disregard for school rules, he should really hate him...but he didn't. So what did he feel? Was it pity? Certainly after the overheard conversation in Cross' office he did feel some sort of sympathy for the boy. But was it really pity? No, Zero was too proud a person to be pitied by someone.

So then what was it? Why had his heart practically fallen out of his chest when Zero had had that attack? Why had he insisted on dropping him home when he blatantly refused his offer? Why had he been so worried when he had not showed up at school that next day, or the day after that, or the day after that? And why above all else was he so sure he saw something hidden in Zero's eyes when he had come back to school bruised and beaten?

…Was it really from a fight, or was there something else going on?

Shaking his head, there were too many questions swirling around in Kaname's head. Questions that he didn't have the answers to.

Finally he came to the conclusion that he was simply curious. Curious as to why the silver head was lying and to what he was covering up.

"_Yes, this is just something to occupy my time. As soon as I find a reason to my curiosity and the answers to my questions I shall move on and stop worrying *cough obsessing* about Zero."_

Smiling to himself, he practically jumped out of his seat when the bell rang. As Head of the DC it was his turn to supervise free period to make sure no one broke any rules, and it just so happen that a certain silverhead also had his free period today.

After hearing all the rumors, Kaname had to admit he was somewhat excited on finally seeing the talents that Zero was so frequently gossiped about.

You see, Cross Academy is a school for the Gifted and Talented, so only those with amazing skills could attend here.

Kaname certainly had a few amazing gifts of his own, but he had been interested when he heard Zero's story. Rumor had he never missed a target. His archery was top in the world. Be it with a gun, cross bow, or any type of weapon; no matter how far the distance it was a bulls eye every time. Eager to see the truth for himself, the brunette walked swiftly and quietly to the training areas in the gym.

Scanning the groups of students milling about, Kaname ignored the adoring looks from girls he got who were "stretching" in front of him while trying to subtly raise their shirts higher as they stuck their butts in the air. He tried not to roll his eyes, as if that was supposed to impress him.

Finally he saw the object of his attention, a flash of silver hair as he walked towards the archery area. Kaname frowned as he noticed the slight stagger in his step, and the wince he tried too hard to hide as he lifted his arm up to steady himself.

Silently, he walked a little closer to observe.

* * *

Zero Kiryu gritted his teeth through the pain as he picked up an arrow. Last night he had came home late from work and Ichiru was in a "playful mood" so he had gotten out the whips for his punishment.

The whips were nothing short but excruciating. He had no idea how or where Ichiru managed to possess such an item, seeing as it was not a normal whip. This one had tiny razor sharp blades embedded into it so that every lash sunk deep into its skin before ripping it out.

By the end of it, his entire back had been in ribbons. Then of course, his dear brother thought it would be fun to get drunk. His idea of "getting drunk" was drinking shots while pouring vodka down Zero's bleeding back. Needless to say Zero was in a lot of pain.

He wanted nothing more than to stay home, curl up and sleep, but he knew better than to stay home where Ichiru would be thinking up more creative ways to "play with him".

Suppressing a shudder he tried to calm himself. He had been feeling dizzy all day, but he had taken his pills in the morning so he figured this time it must have been from blood loss.

Trying to steady himself, he refused to show anyone his weakness. This was the one time of day he could take out all of his frustrations and he wasn't going to give that up to a little pain! No. He needed this. The one and only time he could forget everything and just focus on the target.

Smiling softly to himself he lifted the bow in the air ignoring the screaming pain in his yet-to-be healed arm. He slowly pulled back the arrow willing his throbbing wrist and fingers to numb so that he could focus.

He slowly stared at the target marked circle several hundred meters away. His vision doubled for a second, but a quick shake of his head was all he needed. He knew one of the most important things was to hold the bow steady. Narrowing his eyes, he focused on the target and forgot everything else. He let go of the arrow and was so mesmerized by the arrow soaring through the air, he barely registered the fact that he had hit the bulls' eye dead center.

He silently drew another arrow, and another, and another. Each one shot flew so perfectly in place that it landed direct on top of the first one, piercing the wood of the arrow before it, straight through.

It felt like the chatter was fading away in the background and barely registered anything else as he channeled all his pent up frustration in his beloved bow and arrow. He didn't realize how badly his arm was shaking from keeping the bow so steady, didn't realize how badly he was sweating, didn't realize his eyes were starting to glaze over or that someone was repeatedly calling his name. No, it was just him the arrow and the target.

The target seemed to blur in and out of focus, and for some reason it felt like the ground was moving out from under him, but he refused to stop until the last arrow was shot. He let go of the bow one final time before the world spun around him and everything went black.

The last thing he remembered was a pair of strong arms catching him and gently being lifted into a warm chest. He lost consciousness listening to the steady drum of his saviors' heart beat.

* * *

Kaname was impressed.

He watched as Zero shot the first arrow. His face held such a seriousness concentration. It was as if nothing in the world mattered. Kaname found his heart started beating slightly faster; he had never seen that look of passion and dedication on anyone before. He wondered slightly what it would look like if Zero looked at him that way. But then quickly shook the thought out of his mind.

He watched with interest as Zero shot perfect shot after perfect shot. For someone who looked so slender and dare he say…delicate, he was surprised to see the boy had a slightly toned physique judging from his arm muscles that pulled back each arrow with grace and elegance.

He continued to watch but couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Taking in his profile, he realized that Zero's arm had been shaking quite heavily. He knew that it was important to keep the bow from moving, but hadn't his arm been badly injured in the so called fight a few days ago? Could he have been lying about the injury?

Kaname looked at Zero again and then decided he definitely wasn't lying he looked to be in so much pain.

Taking a few tentative steps forward, he watched as coach Yagari started calling Zero's name but Zero seemed to be un responsive. To his dismay, Zero seemed to sway heavily and Kaname rushed forward to catch him just in time as he collapsed in his arms.

Kaname watched in amazement as even on the verge of collapse, the last shot he fired hit the bulls eye dead on.

"Seems like the boy overworked himself again." Coach Yagari said with a sigh. "Kuran please escort him to the infirmary." He barked.

Kaname nodded and tried to hide his worry. With his illness in the council, the so called fight only days after and now collapsing in his arms, Kaname was worried.

It was clear Zero wasn't taking care of himself. Not only that but Zero weighed close to nothing! He was waaay too light, and Kaname had to remind himself to make sure to treat Zero out to lunch when he woke up.

"_Why does he keep pushing himself when he's still hurt? Doesn't he know his limits?!"_

Kaname sighed as he gently carried Zero to the infirmary trying not to jostle him. He supposed in a way this did have an upside; he got to carry a beautiful Zero without any complaints from him (no doubt he would refuse such treatment if he was awake) and he once again got to see the look of an angel when he stared down at Zero's peaceful face.

The door was already open so Kaname simply walked in and gently deposited Zero onto one of the beds.

"Hey, can I help you?"

Kaname turned to face the school nurse

"He passed out in class and I was to escort him here."

"I see." Kaito sighed. _"That boy! He probably got in another fight then over worked himself when he wasn't fully healed. He really needs to try to control his anger."_

He gave Kaname a pointed look that he could leave now and Zero was in good hands, but when it became obvious Kaname was not going anywhere, he just sighed and turned all his attention back to Zero.

"Well he has a slight fever, that's normal when the body is undergoing stress or trying to repair itself."

"He apparently got injured quite badly in a fight the other day." Kaname commented helpfully.

"hm. Well I'll just take a look to make sure I don't need to re-bandage anything." _"Why didn't he come to me when he got into a fight? He knows I wouldn't lecture him!" _thought Kaito frustratedly.

Kaname tried to hide his curiosity but couldn't help but look over Kaito's shoulder as he un buttoned Zero's shirt.

There was a collective gasp from both parties before the room was filled silence.

"W-what the hell happened to him?!" whispered Kaname shocked at the number of bruises and scars that covered his chest and marred his once smooth skin. "Are those…WHIP MARKS?!"

Kaito remained silent for some time before finally speaking. "Look pretty boy, you wouldn't understand. Zero was like me when he was younger, he's not a bad kid but he has a temper so he gets in fights a lot. Clearly I didn't realize it was this bad, but it's nothing to have heart attack over."

"NOTHING TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK OVER?! ARE WE LOOKING AT THE SAME THING HERE?!"

Kaname had to work hard to control his shouting voice from trembling. It pained him deeply to see Zero's once milky white skin covered in nothing but gashes, scars, and bruises that ranged in all types of colors. It was like some sick artist had used his body as an easel and splattered him with multiple dark shades of paint.

Trying to gain back some control Kaname whispered in a deathly silence. "Surely you could not think this all came from 'some fight'?"

Kaito just shook his head. _"No. There's no way Zero would be getting abused and not tell me! We've swapped stories about the best fights we've ever gotten into. He trusts me! He would tell me if it were true. Yes, that's right; this is all just a misunderstanding and is probably from another fight." _Kaito reassured himself before turning to look at Kaname.

"Either way the extent of his injuries are pretty bad so he may need to go to the hospital. Free period is over so I suggest you get back to class Kuran-san. Excuse me, I need to make a phone call."

Kaname glared at Kaito as he left the room to his adjoining office and shut the door firmly behind him.

Kaname leaned down and stroked the bangs out of Zero's face. It was obvious something was seriously wrong here, and he had no idea how Zero managed to hide the fact that he was in this much pain every day.

It just made all of his suspicions true, Zero was definitely getting abused by someone, and Kaname was going to find out who. And when he did…

"I'm going to kill whoever did this." He promised fiercely.

He didn't know why he was feeling so protective over the still figure on the bed, but he suddenly had the urge to embrace him! He didn't know what Zero was going through, but he wanted him to know he wasn't going to have to go through it alone.

He looked down at Zero's soft expression which was so different from the usual one he showed.

_"Is this the real you when all your masks are down?" _He wondered.

Staring down at the serene expression he wondered how one could look so calm and beautiful when his body was in so much obvious pain.

"_How did I not notice it before? He really is like an angel. More beautiful than anyone I've ever met."_

Kaname suddenly realized that he wanted nothing more than to lean down to those petal pink lips and kiss all his pain away. Before he lost his nerve, he started to lean down, but stopped abruptly when Zero suddenly grabbed his hand and sat up looking disoriented.

* * *

Zero opened his eyes to see a blurry figure looming over him.

As his vision cleared, for a second he panicked thinking he was still back at the house and he would see lilac eyes staring back at him mockingly. He relaxed when he finally realized they were chocolate brown, not violet and they were looking at him with concern.

"Ka-Kaname?" He croaked groggily.

Slowly it all started coming back to him. He remembered passing out and then feeling safe in the strong arms that caught him.

"_Was it Kaname? Oh god, he probably carried me here like I was some girl."_ He groaned in embarrassment.

It felt like he was missing some important detail. Feeling a light chill, he realized what it was, his shirt was open! They saw all his scars!

Panicking he squirmed around uncomfortably and breathed a slight sigh of relief to know his shirt was still on, it was just un-buttoned.

"_No one saw my back I'm okay, I can get out of this! I just need to lie!"_

"Zero…"

Zero jerked his head up to look into Kaname's gentle expression and the soft voice who called him.

He hadn't realized he had been desperately holding his hand till Kaname gave a tentative squeeze back. Zero blushed darkly and quickly looked away, but Kaname's next question snapped all his attention back to him.

"Zero who did this to you?"

Breathing heavily, Zero tried to tell himself to remain calm. Stress and anxiety could trigger another attack and he didn't particularly want that to happen in front of Kaname, _again._

"I told you. I was in a fight. I get in them all the time." He laughed nervously.

"Zero, please don't lie to me."

Zero was starting to panic. He snatched his hand out of Kaname's and pulled back away from him as far as he could.

"I SAID IT WAS IN A FIGHT! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! IM FINE!"

Kaito rushed back in the room when he heard all the yelling.

"Kuran, if you don't have a reason to be here, I'd ask that you please leave and stop disrupting my patients."

"Oh but I do have a reason." He replied smoothly. "Zero has missed his cafeteria duty far too many times, so I'm just here to inform him that he needs to report to the council office directly after school today."

"Fine, you informed him, now get out." Snapped Kaito finally losing his patients.

Kaname inclined his head and rose from where he was sitting at the edge of the bed to leave.

"Zero, I understand you may not be feeling up to it…"

"I'M FINE. I'll go to your stupid meeting so you can go now!"

"Very well, don't be late." Kaname replied coolly as he gracefully walked out of the office.

Zero couldn't understand him, one minute he was acting all concerned and the next he was acting all aloof and apathetic.

He tried to ignore how good it felt it when Kaname's hands were in his own, or how safe he felt in his strong arms.

_"Damn. Technically, he's saved me twice now."_

Realizing that he had been staring at the spot Kaname had left from for a several minutes he quickly looked back at Kaito who was watching him with a serious expression.

"Zero. Be honest. Do I need to be worried? These injuries are no joke. Do I need to call someone, a family member maybe, or take you to the hospital?"

"NO!" He yelled before quickly composing himself.

"No. I'm fine. I had got into another fight, this one I admit wasn't my proudest moment. You know I hate hospitals, they ask too many questions and don't understand that sometimes a guy needs to talk with his fists." He grinned lopsidedly and Kaito finally seemed to relax.

"Thank god! You really had me worried! For a second there I thought…"

Kaito trailed off before shaking his head. "Never mind. I've called in a friend who works at the local hospital, they should be here soon. Just try not to get into anymore fights for a while. And Zero, you owe me one."

Zero still looked nervous but Kaito assured him that this doctor was someone he could trust not to say anything to.

Zero nodded enthusiastically before sinking back into the bed and closing his eyes._ "He bought it. He thinks it's just from another fight, and as long as the doctor doesn't look at my back or look at the carving on my arm I should be fine." _

Zero tried to feel relieved at this but instead all he could picture was Kaname's worried face. He hated when people worried about him, he didn't deserve their worry. He didn't even want to think about how ugly Kaname must think he is now that he saw his body.

Shaking his head, he decided not to think about that right now.

"_It's not like I care what anyone thinks anyway. Especially Kaname."_

Trying to focus on the situation at hand, he knew Kaname wasn't as easy to fool as everyone else. He swallowed the lump in his throat when he thought about what would happen if anyone ever found out the truth.

_*flashback*_

"_Don't forget my dear brother. You tell ANYONE and I will kill that person in front of you and then kill you myself. Do I make myself clear?!"_

_*end flashback*_

Shuddering, Zero shook his head.

"No. no one must know. Especially Kaname. I won't have him get hurt because of me."

* * *

_**Dumdumdum! Kaname is getting closer to finding out! And it's so cute how he's in denial about his feelings for "his angel" hehehe. Surprise for you all, I was feeling inspired so you can expect the next update in the next few minutes! :D**_

_**Thanks so much to all my viewers, followers, and favouriters! I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story :) Special shout out to all those who reviewed! :D **__**All responses to my lovely reviews are on the new EXTRAS PAGE! So go check it out if you're looking for my reply! xoxo :]**_


	6. PART 1 Chapter 6

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter six – Revelations**_

* * *

Kaname walked out of the infirmary in a daze. He walked back to the council room barely registering the greetings everyone gave him.

All he could think about was what he saw on Zero!

"_Could it be true? I knew he was hiding something…but could he really be getting abused?"_

He sat in his chair and started reflecting back to all the odd things he had noticed about Zero. How he always seemed to flinch when anyone calls him by his first name, how he absolutely hates to be touched, and more than ever, the look of fear in his eyes when he first woke up in the infirmary.

Kaname didn't want to admit it, but all signs pointed to abuse. There was no way he could have gotten that many scars from a bunch of fights! But that just made him worry all over again! Especially since some of those scars had looked pretty old.

"_How long has this been going on?! And why didn't anyone notice it sooner?!" _

Rubbing his temples in frustration, he didn't want to admit he might've had the answer to that last question. No one noticed because they chose not to. There had probably been dozens of signs that Zero needed help but all anyone saw was the delinquent slacker who liked to get in a lot of fights.

Kaname was ashamed to admit he had been one of those people! And while there may have been nothing he could do to change the past, he could be damn sure to do something about the future. Abruptly slamming his fist down into the table, he was more determined than ever to get to the bottom of this and find out who was doing this to Zero!

"_I'll protect you Zero." _

Coming out of his thoughts he realized the entire committee was staring at him.

"Uhm, Kaname-sama, is everything alright? You seem to be distracted." Said Takuma, bravely being the first one to address everyone's concerns.

"I'm fine, I just have a lot on my mind."

"I see." Takuma smiled knowingly, and Kaname wondered if he gave anything away.

"Well let's get started then. We have a lot of work to do and Ze- Kiryu-kun will be stopping by later seeing as how he has been skipping his punishment."

They all murmured his agreements, and Kaname was glad that no one seemed to notice his slip up by almost calling Zero by his first name. Everyone except Takuma who was beaming broadly at him.

Kaname sighed tiredly, this was going to be a long day.

* * *

At 3:30 Zero knocked tiredly on the outside of the council room. The doctor had taken longer than he thought, and by some miracle he had managed to hide his back and answer all of his questions without causing too many suspicions.

The only one thing he couldn't get away with was the large iron burn on his hip. He had to say that during a fight someone had held it down on him, but then it arose the question that if they were fighting in an alley how did they find an electric circuit to plug the iron in? Zero almost kicked himself for not thinking that through.

Eventually the doctor came to the conclusion that they must have drugged him and taken him somewhere else. Zero was fine with them thinking that, as it explained the whip marks too. The only problem was now they were trying to get him to come down to the police station to explain what the suspects looked like and Zero was getting in way over his head! He would have to think of some way to get out of it later. There was no way Ichiru would be happy if the police was involved.

Deciding to forget about that for now, he knew in a matter of seconds he would have to face Kaname again. Kaname; who was more suspicious than Kaito and the doctor combined!

He didn't want to think about the kind face Kaname had looked at him with when he had first woken up, or the warmth of his hand in his own.

"_Focus Zero Focus. Just go in there, take whatever punishment they'll give you for the cafeteria, avoid all other personal questions and get home as fast as you can!"_

He didn't want to remember what happened the last time he was late coming home from school.

He specifically remembered Ichiru warning him what would happen if he was late one more time, and he did not want him to come through on the promise of using his new "toy" on him. When it came to toys, it could range anything from a whip to a knife!

Trembling slightly at the thought, Zero cleared his face of all fear and slipped on his mask before opening the door and walking confidently in.

Kaname's heart skipped a beat as he watched the silverette walk in. Trying not show any emotions, he knew this would be one of the only times he would get to question Zero without it looking like he had any ulterior motives.

It started off normal enough, the council asked him why he didn't show up and Zero said he didn't feel like it.

It was a typical response, but this time Kaname was watching carefully. He noticed that every so often Zero would glance at the clock in the corner of the room as if he had somewhere he needed to be.

"_Could he be meeting up with the abuser later?"_ Wondered Kaname

"And what were you doing when you were not working in the cafeteria?" Kaname asked coolly.

"I don't know. Chilling. Is it any of your business?" Zero snapped coldly.

"It is. If we have suspicions of you leaving school campus then we will need to take that into consideration before deciding on your punishment."

Zero rolled his eyes but inside he as starting to really get nervous, how much longer did he have to stay here?!

"Yea fine. Whatever, but can we finish this later? I have somewhere I need to be."

"Oh? And will you be going to the same place you went when you were skipping your caf duties?"

"No! And why do you care? Argh! How much longer is this going to take?!"

Kaname just smirked and leaned back in his chair as if to say he had all the time in the world.

Zero gritted his teeth in return. He had no idea what Kaname was playing at but he was not happy.

20 minutes later and Zero had gone from shifting from side to side, to full out fidgeting. He didn't even bother being discreet about looking at the clock, and even the council members were wondering why Kaname was taking so long with the questioning when it normally took around 5 minutes.

But Kaname was waiting.

He knew the more distracted Zero was, the more likely he would let slip some clues as to where he was going or why he was in such a hurry to leave. And when he did, that would be all the start Kaname needed to start his search.

If Zero could just give some sort of clue on to where he worked, he could start investigating his co workers to see if they were the ones behind this!

Finally, 45 minutes later, something happened that Kaname had been waiting for; Zero's cell phone rang.

* * *

Zero looked at the number and paled drastically.

"Go ahead." Murmured Kaname, indicating he could answer it.

Zero glared daggers at him. Obviously he wasn't going to be given any privacy for the phone call and he was at a loss of what to do! If he took the call, there was the risk of them overhearing the conversation, but if he didn't take it, he would have to feel Ichiru's wrath when he got home for ignoring him!

Trembling slightly at the very thought, he decided he would take the risk and just answer the phone call.

He turned around so that his back was facing the DC to at least hide his expression but he knew there was nothing he could do to control the shaking of his shoulders.

"H-Hello?" He asked quietly. Cursing himself when his voice cracked.

_"Where are you? Did I not tell you what would happen if you were even a minute late?"_ asked a cold voice sending tingles up Zero's spine.

Zero flinched before apologizing furiously.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll be home soon, I promise!"

_"And I suppose you'll have a suitable reason as to why you were late?"_

"Yes! I had to stay afterschool because-"

_"Silence. You know better than to anger me brother. I do not want to hear your pathetic excuses. What I want to know is why I got a call from the headmaster saying that he heard you collapsed in class and he was wondering if you were eating enough."_

At this point Zero couldn't help but take a sharp intake of breath. He knew what was coming.

"I didn't know he would call! I swear!"

_"So behind my back you've been complaining about not getting enough food? What else have you been complaining about? Do I not feed you? Is this the kindness I get in return for all MY GENERORSITY?!"_ Ichiru was yelling now, he was furious.

Zero didn't care that he was in the council room and that all the members would see his break down, he couldn't stop the tears that were streaming down his face.

"I didn't- I- I-" Zero sobbed, barely able to get the words out.

_"We'll discuss this when you get home. And I better see you here in the next 20 minutes."_

"But it's a 2 hour walk from school and you said I can't get rides so-"

_"Does it sound like I care? You better run fast."_

Zero cringed before letting his head hang in defeat. When Ichiru got like this, the best thing to do was to just agree before he got any angrier.

"Yes." Zero whispered.

_"Yes what?"_ The voice purred.

"Yes Master." Zero whispered brokenly.

_"I can't hear you. I want to hear you say it loudly."_ There was a dangerous edge to his voice and Zero quickly raised his voice.

"Yes Master!"

The voice on the other end laughed until the phone clicked and the line went dead.

Breathing heavily he wiped his eyes on his sleeve before letting his bangs cover his face and turning around to face the door.

"I have to go." He mumbled to the committee before literally running out of there.

He didn't have time to think about what the committee was thinking or how much of the conversation they may have heard, the only thought flashing in his head was that he had to 20 minutes to get home from a 2 hour distance.

Knowing the mood Ichiru was in, he dared not ask for a ride.

Zero continued running till his lungs were burning. Still he didn't stop. He didn't know how he did it (He figured it must have been the adrenaline or the fear that drove him forward) but he did the impossible, he made it back in 45 minutes!

… Unfortunately, that meant he was still 25 minutes late.

* * *

Kaname and the rest of the committee remained shocked in their seats long after Zero had left. They couldn't hear what the person on the other line was saying but Zero's responses were enough to let them all feel sick with disgust that someone was treating Zero that way.

Finally of all people Shiki was the first to speak.

"Kaname-sempai…that's not right. I'm worried."

The rest of the council nodded solemnly. They were all worried about Zero.

"What do you think it means?" Takuma asked softly, as if afraid to voice his opinion on the matter. He was sure they were all thinking the same thing.

"Maybe he really is involved with drugs! And that was the dealer he was talking to!" Aido spoke up helpfully.

"BAKA! Didn't you hear him? He said he was going home." Replied Ruka angrily.

They were all quiet for a few minutes letting that sink in.

"But maybe 'home' is a codename for something else..." Aido tried again. He didn't want to admit what was everyone was thinking. He may not have liked Zero, but no one deserves to have that kind of fear.

"I don't think that's it." Kain told his cousin gently.

The council remained quiet again before Rima spoke up quietly.

"Kaname-sempai, we are going to do something aren't we? As members of the Disciplinary Committee, it is our duty to make sure those who deserve punishment are punished." She said darkly.

Kaname nodded his head. They were all thinking the same thing. They would find out who was on the other end of that phone call and make sure Zero never had to talk to whoever that person was again!

Kaname just kept hearing that same line repeat over and over again. _"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll be home soon, I promise!" _Kaname had thought whoever was hurting Zero would be one of his co workers…could it really be one of his own family members?

Standing up abruptly, Kaname walked stiffly to the door, anger flaring from his normally apathetic face.

"Kaname-sama, where are you going?" Takuma asked nervously.

He had only seen his friend this angry once before, and he knew it was almost dangerous how lethal Kaname could get when he was truly pissed.

"Zero's house." Was all Kaname replied before he stalked out and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

_**Ouuuu cliffie! Woo, 3 updates in one day, I'm on a roll! ;) haha!**_

_**Well I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, and that I'm not moving it too fast. :S**_

_**As always, thanks to all the views, follows, and favourites, you guys are the best!**_

_**I'm sorry to leave you hanging, but the next couple updates will be for my other stories, but I tried to make it up to you by updating this one so fast. :]**_

_**Xoxo!**_


	7. PART 1 Chapter 7

**Fallen Angel**

_**WARNING abuse and torture scenes in this chapter!**_

_**Chapter seven – Broken**_

* * *

"You're late." A sickly sweet voice drawled out.

Zero gulped and backed away as the door swung shut behind him.

* * *

Kaname barely noticed the sound of hurried footsteps from the DC following behind him. He was too determined to get to Zero's house right away. He quickened his pace as he remembered the bruises and scars covering Zero's body.

Soon he was running to the limo and before the door was even closed he was yelling to his chauffer to drive, anxiously yelling out the address Zero had told him last time!

_"Please, please be okay!"_ He thought worriedly.

* * *

Zero's tears were now freely streaming down his face. He didn't know what made Ichiru this angry, but it was obvious something else must have happened to get him in this kind of mood.

As soon as he entered the house Ichiru hadn't wasted anytime dragging him to the basement and chaining him up. Zero's wrists were now attached to thick shackles from the wall and suspended above his head, while his ankles were also shackled to long chains attached to the wall. He was chained in such a way that although he had enough leeway to stand, he couldn't take more than a few steps before being painfully pulled back towards the wall.

Zero had tried not whimper as the tight metal had easily cut into his skin; because he knew that not only was it useless to struggle, but honestly the very least of his worries.

"Now Zero, I warned you I would be testing out my new toy on you did I not?" Ichiru asked menacingly as he stalked forward.

"But first, let's warm you up with some of our old favorites hm?" He asked with evil glee as he pulled out a long fire stick poker that he had been holding behind his back.

The tip was glowing a dull orange menacingly, and it was obvious Ichiru had stuck it in the fire and waited for it to heat up.

Zero squirmed as Ichiru came closer. He knew what was coming, as finding new ways to puncture or burn his skin off was one of Ichiru's pleasures.

"Now, now, there's no need to be scared, you should know by now what to expect. After all, you've done this many times before haven't you Zero?" Ichiru asked with a smile, obviously enjoying the terrified expression Zero was so desperately trying not to show.

Not waiting for a reply, Ichiru stabbed the searing hot poker stick straight through Zero's stomach as the scent of burning flesh filled the air.

Zero screamed as not only did the heat of it burn his skin, but the force Ichiru had used had literally speared a hole in his stomach! Ichiru mercilessly pulled the stick out before ramming it back in again earning a second scream from Zero.

Tears blurred his eyes and he desperately wanted to clutch his stomach to stop the bleeding. Of course he couldn't, since his arms were still restrained by the chains.

"What's with that face? We're just starting the fun!" Cackled Ichiru; enjoying the tormented expression on his twins face.

Zero moaned but could do nothing as Ichiru stalked forward and cupped his face in his hand.

"Those eyes…I hate that we share the same features…"

At this point Zero wasn't sure if Ichiru was referring to himself or his parents, but he knew better than to ask.

"But I know what would change that…I'm going to paint your face a beautiful shade of red!"

Ichiru then dug his finger in the wound on Zero's stomach (making Zero bite his lip to stop from crying out) and then proceeded to wipe the bloody finger across Zero's cheek.

"Red is such a good color on you Zero." He whispered softly.

Before Zero could even respond, he gripped Zero's face harshly and forcefully kissed him on the lips before shoving his tongue down his throat. Zero yelped as he felt Ichiru bite down on his tongue leaving a fresh trail of blood to drip down his chin.

"See what I mean about the color red?" Ichiru asked sweetly before suddenly laughing maniacally and giving him a hard slap across the face.

Zero whimpered and tried his best to hide his fear, but failed to no avail. A small part of his brain reminded him that fear was a good thing, it meant he hadn't completely accepted everything yet (as much as he liked to believe he did)…fear meant there was still emotion left in him, fear meant he hadn't cracked yet and wasn't dead inside.

But Zero had long since gotten used to Ichiru's torture. And couldn't help but wonder how much more he could take before he gave up altogether? For he was breaking little by little, and he was already so close to the edge of crumbling away.

He was snapped out of his depressing thoughts when Ichiru returned grinning eerily.

"Would you like to see my new toy Zero?" He asked joyfully, almost as if he was talking about an actually toy and not some new weapon to torture him with.

Zero gulped in anticipation and fear as he watched Ichiru open a small black box. Zero knew that whatever was in it could not be good.

Ichiru had used to beat him physically when he was younger but as he got older Ichiru's anger had grown and had gotten bored with the normal routine of beating him unconscious. He started relying on tools to "spice things up".

Focusing back on the box, and trying to ignore the searing pain in his stomach, Zero's eyes widened as Ichiru pulled out a silver and black dart. The dart would look like a normal playing dart except that instead of the normal metal tip, there was a gleaming steel blade.

"Zero-nii, let's play a game!"

Zero shuddered as Ichiru called him his old nickname. He only called him that when he was feeling extremely vicious.

"Let's see if I can get a bull's eye." He said with a glint in his eye.

Zero didn't even want to know what part of his body the bulls' eye would be; and could only pray it wouldn't be his actual eye!

Without warning, Ichiru threw the sharp blade/dart and Zero held back a scream as it embedded itself deep into his shoulder.

"Oopsie, I missed! But don't worry, I have many more." With a grin, Ichiru turned the black box around and Zero could only stare in horror as the box contained more than 25 darts.

…

Zero felt himself being slapped awake. He had passed out after the 12th dart had been thrown. He wasn't sure if it was from blood loss or fear, but either way he was happy to welcome the bliss of darkness, at least for the little while he could.

He wearily opened his eyes to see lilac ones staring back at him with a look of annoyance.

"It is very rude to pass out in the middle of a game Zero." Ichiru scolded. His voice carrying an undertone of threat.

Zero gasped and mumbled out an apology realizing he was on his knees and his arms were still painfully above being stretched above his head. He tried to move to stand up but found his entire body was numb and the only reason he wasn't collapsed on the floor was because the shackles of the chains were holding him up.

Zero was shocked when Ichiru took out a gold key from his pockets and slowly undid the locks on the chains. Zero blinked repeatedly as felt the chains give away and his arms flop down lifelessly to his sides. As soon as the chains connected to his ankles were unlatched, his legs; (or in this case his knees) gave out from under him and he unceremoniously crumbled to the floor.

Despite the pain Zero was confused.

"_Surely he hasn't finished already?" _He wondered, not that he was complaining! "_Perhaps I was passed for longer than he thought and Ichiru had already taken out all his frustrations on my unconscious body?_" Somehow Zero doubted that. As long as Zero was alive Ichiru would always have frustrations that needed to be taken care of. _"Or perhaps my injuries were so serious that I would actually die if he didn't stop?"_

Zero had been through sessions that were just as bad as this, and Ichiru had never shown any sign of stopping so he doubted it was the latter. There was a third option that Zero didn't want to consider which was that Ichiru was not done at all and was merely changing location. Which would mean that whatever would come next, wouldn't be done with any of the things in the basement, which could only conclude it was going to be extremely creative or on a whole new level of pain.

"Don't just lie there!" Ichiru yelled angrily startling Zero out of his thoughts as a hard kick was given to his bleeding stomach.

Zero immediately gasped and curled into the fetal position as he started coughing up blood.

"Stop being so pathetic. Don't think your punishment is over just because I finished playing my game. If anything, it's time to get serious. You will learn what will happen when you betray me and one of the most important rules: Drawing attention to yourself! You will regret ever talking to that foolish principal! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" Ichiru growled.

"Y-Yes Master!"

Ichiru smirked triumphly. "Good. Because you deserve everything that comes to you. You're lower than a piece of dirt on my shoe. You're NOTHING! If I decide to kill you right here right now, NO ONE would care and not a single person would shed a tear! YOU GO THAT?!"

Tears now blurring his vision Zero nodded before whispering brokenly "Yes Master."

Zero hated showing Ichiru his tears; it always gave him some sick satisfaction. So other than when Zero was in immense pain, he normally tried to hold it in. (Especially when it came to verbal abuse.) But lately he hadn't been able to control his emotions half as well as he could before. Zero was breaking…fast.

"_I really am pathetic." _He thought to himself hopelessly. "_Is it really true? Would not a single person care?" _

Zero briefly thought of Cross or Kaito but then figured they would get over his death quickly and eventually be happy to be rid of such a burden. For some reason his thoughts flickered to Kaname, but he quickly shook his head at the absurd idea.

"_No, him and the DC would be happiest of all to get rid the school Delinquent. They're the last ones who would care."_

"Now even though you repay my generosity with betrayal, I will not kill you. Remember who it was that spared your life next time you see your precious headmaster" Ichiru sneered.

He then Yanked Zero non-too gently and shoved him out of the room. He half dragged Zero into the living room barely noticing the thick trail of blood being left behind.

"Now Zero-nii, I want you to feel the_ shock_ I felt when I received that phone call…"

Zero barely had time to process the words let alone panic until Ichiru continued in a sing song voice

"It's time for some electrocutionnnnnnnn!"

* * *

_**OMG! Don't you just hate Ichiru?! I know there wasn't much KaZe in this chapter, but the next chapter will make it up to you since it's Kaname to the Rescueeeeee! :D**_

_**Also, I am sooooo sorry it's taken me so long to update :[ I just had so many ideas on how I wanted this chapter to proceed, and finally settled on this way. Also, I'm really not that great on torture scenes so it took a while to type this one all out :S but either way, I hope you all enjoyed, and I promise to try and be quicker on the next update! :)**_

_**Speaking of, thank you SO much for all the support and the huge response from all those who followed, viewed and favoured! Love you all! :D**_

_**Special Shout out to my loyal and awesome reviewers! AKA my inspiration to post faster :)**_

_**All responses to my lovely reviews are on the EXTRAS PAGE! So go check it out if you're looking for my reply! xoxo :]**_


	8. PART 1 Chapter 8

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter eight – Rescue**_

* * *

Kaname looked anxiously out the window again, urging the driver to drive faster. There had been an accident on the road, and although no one had been hurt, there was so much traffic that they ended up having to take a detour and it took twice as long to reach to Zero's house!

Kaname could only hope they weren't too late.

As soon as Zero's house came into sight Kaname was opening the car door before it had even fully stopped. He rushed to the front door and banged on it wildly

"ZERO?! ZERO ARE YOU IN THERE?!"

He yelled loudly not caring that his once calm and composed mask had completely slipped off.  
He waited anxiously for some sort of reply, a sound, a grunt, a sarcastic comment, something...anything!

But the only thing that greeted him was silence. And that was what disturbed him the most... Everything was too quiet, and the deathly silence was causing Kaname to come up with scenarios on why Zero wasn't answering, each one worse than the last!

Finally, not being able to take it anymore he took a step back before channeling all his frustration in the form of one strong kick. With the single swift motion, the door came barreling down.

Kaname didn't waste any time rushing in frantically calling out Zero's name!

Once again, his answer was silence.

For a second Kaname wondered if anyone was even home, but then he noticed something slick on the floor... blood.

Panicking, Kaname called out louder and more frantically as he followed the crimson trail of blood. The trail came to a stop behind a large blue colored couch.

Kaname thought he had prepared himself for the worst, but nothing could have prepared him for the shock of seeing an unconscious Zero lying in a pool of his own blood.

Instead of feeling sick at the sight, Kaname felt a hot pure rage boiling through his body. Whoever did this did not deserve to live! In fact he wanted nothing more than to search the entire house and find the despicable person who did this and murder them right there and then! …BUT, who knew how long Zero had been lying there?! For all he knew the person who did this already high tailed it out of there way before Kaname had shown up. Besides, his main concern was Zero.

With glistening tears in his eyes, he slowly knelt down and whispered softly

"Zero?"

With shaking hands, he felt for a pulse on his neck and let out a sigh of relief. It was weak, but it was there.

Behind him, the rest of the DC came pouring in. Kaname hadn't even realized they had followed him in their own cars.

"Kaname? Zero?"

Takuma called loudly as he was next to enter the small house. Paling drastically at the sight of all the blood splattered on the floor. He felt sick and his knees felt weak. He was thankful Shiki came up behind him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Even then, Shiki's normally emotionless face had on a mixed expression of disgust and fury. Rima who entered next had a similar expression.

"Who would do this?" She murmured solemnly.

Aido was next to come running full speed into the house. He had heard Rima and wanted to know what the fuss was about. He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw too saw the blood and could only stare in horror at the pale un-moving figure that was cradled in Kaname's arms.

"K-K-K-Kaname-sempai! H-He's not d-dead is he?" Stammered Aido so in shock he could barely get the words out. He never liked Zero, but he certainly didn't want him to die!

"No he's not. But if he doesn't get help soon…" Kaname whispered

Kain and Ruka followed in after Aido, both only needing to take one look before gasping in horror at the sight. Ruka heard Kaname's soft whisper and immediately reached for her phone, frantically dialing 911 for an ambulance.

Aido meanwhile continued to stare. He had always liked horror movies but somehow seeing all the blood in person wasn't the same. He started feeling squeamish and felt sick to his stomach to think someone had actually done this to someone he knew… He shook his head and to his embarrassment felt tears well up in his eyes. He knew he wasn't the only one since all the girls seemed to be sniffling, Takuma's sobs could be heard echoing in the silence, and even Kaname had obviously been crying.

Not wanting to look at the sickening scene any longer Aido turned around and hid his face in the strong chest of his older cousin. Kain soothingly rubbed circles on his back but Aido could hear his rapid heartbeat indicating that he too was quite affected by the situation.

The DC waited anxiously for the ambulance to come and as the sound of sirens blared loudly in the air, Kaname never once took his eyes off of his precious Zero that lay motionless in his arms.

"_Oh Zero! My poor fallen angel…"_

* * *

Zero opened his eyes to a blinding white light and quickly shut them closed again. He heard the low murmur of voices but everything sounded muffled so he couldn't quite make it out.

He tried opening his eyes again and blinked rapidly before a blurry image of someone leaning over him came into view. Zero's first instinct was to jerk back in fear and try and get as far away as possible from the figure. But seeing as he was lying down on a bed and his whole body was numb he couldn't move very far.

"_Wait…bed? Oh no! Don't tell me! Ichiru has finally snapped and decided to rape me! Oh dear god no!"_

Zero started hyperventilating but then slowly realized 2 things; one- This person was whispering comforting words to him and although he could not yet make them out, they were soothing all the same. And two- this person was not Ichiru.

Slowly everything came back to him, and his vision finally cleared to see the concerning look of chocolate brown eyes looking down on him as a hand gently stroked the hair out of his eyes.

"K-Kaname?" His voice cracked slightly but of all people Kaname was the last person he expected to see!

"Zero! You're awake!" The relief was evident in Kaname's voice but Zero was too confused to notice.

The last thing he remembered was Ichiru hooking up a bunch of wires to him and sending some sort of electrical shocks through him.

"Where am I?" Zero asked groggily.

"The hospital." Aido spoke up.

Jumping slightly Zero turned around to see the whole Disciplinary Committee piled in his room.

Confused, Zero wracked his brain trying to piece parts of his memory back together when suddenly he remembered!

_*flashback*_

_Zero was panting harshly. He had never been electrocuted before but whatever new "toy" Ichiru was playing with was clearly deadly. Ichiru had hooked him up to a bunch of wires which were connected to some strange steel box that had a complicated number of dials and buttons on it. Zero had only experienced one shock so far, but that was enough to get him screaming. His body was still trembling through the aftershocks. Ichiru had warned him it wasn't even on high voltage yet and Zero certainly didn't want to find out what would happen when it did. As it was he was already fighting to stay conscious._

_Suddenly the screeching of tires could be heard directly outside the house. Followed by a series of loud voices._

_Ichiru grabbed Zero's hair and yanked his head back as he glared down at him._

"_WHO THE HELL IS HERE?! YOU TOLD SOMEONE DIDN'T YOU?!" Screeched Ichiru_

"_I didn't! I swear I didn't!" Cried Zero. He had never seen Ichiru this enraged and he was frightened._

_Zero honestly had no idea who was pounding on the door. It couldn't have been the neighbors…they had heard him screaming before and never seemed to do anything. (Zero was fairly sure Ichiru paid them off) So then who else could it be?_

"_Mark my words Zero. I will make you pay for this. And don't forget…I am very capable of killing whoever it is that helped you." _

_With that Ichiru disappeared without a trace of ever being there and Zero finally gave away to the oblivion of unconsciousness._

_*flash back over*_

Coming out of his flashback, Zero slowly started noticing other unfamiliar things around him proving that he really was in a hospital. Like the fact that there was an IV needle attached in his hand, and that there was a monogamous beeping noise that he realized was monitoring his heart.

Said machine started beeping faster and faster as Zero realized just how much in trouble he truly was in.

"_I'm in a hospital. I'm in a hospital! Oh shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. They'll know… they'll know everything! And the rules…! Dear god I broke the rules! He's going to kill me! No one was supposed to know, and I was never allowed to ask for help! The punishment would be death…"_

Zero was so panicked in his own thoughts he barely realized the tight feeling he normally got in his chest indicating an oncoming attack. Doctors suddenly flooded into the room ushering all the visitors out and trying to calm Zero down.

Zero was too lost in his own mind to even think about what the doctors were saying, or to look for his pills. The last thing he registered were the doctors injecting him with some sort of sedative before his breathing slowly calmed down and his eyes slipped shut.

* * *

When Zero opened his eyes again the room was empty of any doctors or the DC, save for Kaname who was sitting elegantly in an uncomfortable looking chair watching over Zero with a un readable expression.

"Zero." He whispered softly as soon as he saw that he was awake.

"Kaname." Zero replied hoarsely. His throat felt raspy, and as if reading his mind Kaname instantly got up to get a glass of water on the small stand beside his bed and gently held it to his lips so he could drink just like he had did on the day of his attack all those days ago.

"Better?" Kaname asked

Zero nodded still confused on why he was there. He figured he must have been the one who had brought him to the hospital, but he still wanted to know why_. _

"_Why did you come to my house? Why did you save me? Why did you care?"_

The questions died on his lips when Kaname asked a question of his own.

"Who did this to you Zero?" Kaname asked gently

Zero's eyes went wide He knew this was coming, but somehow no amount of preparation would have been able to prepare him with the ability to give a proper answer. Not when he knew Ichiru was still alive!

The heart monitor started beeping faster and faster and Zero's eyes clouded with fearful tears.

"Okay okay. Hey, just breathe; you don't have to answer right now." Kaname reassured soothingly.

Zero wanted to be annoyed that Kaname was talking to him like he was some delicate child, but instead he couldn't help but relish in the warmth of how it would feel if someone actually cared about him.

"_Of course that's not true. Kaname doesn't care, he probably just feels pity. But still, it's nice to pretend..." _

Snapping out of his thoughts he realized Kaname had been talking.

"…because I REFUSE to let you step one foot back into that house. So what do you think?"

Zero blinked. Embarrassed that he had missed the first part of what he had been saying. Kaname seemed to realize Zero was feeling over whelmed so he asked again while softly resting his hand on top of Zero's.

"Zero, I'm asking you to come stay with me."

* * *

_**And another chapter comes to an end! Kaname asks Zero to move in with him! Will he accept? ;)**_

_**Okay guys, pleaseee don't hate me for letting Ichiru escape! I know you all want him dead, (I do too! Or at least a good ass-kicking!) buuut, Kaname's biggest concern was Zero at the moment. So that's why he was more focused on him being okay than anything else. (Plus, Ichiru is waay too good a villain to let him be out of the story so quickly… oh yes I definitely have plans for him…muahaha!) But don't worry, next chappie Kaname will go back to investigate and try and figure out who it is that did this, so basically, who exactly he needs to beat up. ;P  
**_

* * *

_**Also, I need your helppppp! Zero's job will start to come into play in a few chapters and I would like YOUR opinion on what kind of job you would like it to be:**_

_**a) Normal (Ex: a cashier at a grocery store, waiter, etc.)**_

_**b) Scandalous (Ex: Stripper, bartender, etc.)**_

_**c) Shady (Working delivering packages for some unknown business, drug dealer etc.)**_

_**So please let me know which one you prefer! It's not going to be the most important thing in the story, but still, I would love your opinion! :]**_


	9. PART 1 Chapter 9

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter nine- Hospital Conversations**_

* * *

Zero blinked slowly not sure if he heard him right.

"Stay with you? …You want me to move in?"

Before Kaname could offer any form of explanation the door burst open and the headmaster rushed in.

"ZEEEEEEERRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOO-KUNNNNNNNNNN! I came as soon as I heard! Are you okay?! How are you?! What happened?!"

Yelled Cross firing one question after another, not noticing the fact that Zero had yet to answer a single one.

Finally Kaname cleared his throat letting his presence be known.

"Actually how did you find out about this headmaster?" he asked politely.

"Oh! Kuran-kun! I didn't see you there. Well the hospital knows Zero from his frequent checkups, and so they know I'm his emergency contact and called me as soon as he was brought here. I just got the message so I rushed over! But I must thank you since I heard you were the one who found my poor Zero-kun."

Cross then turned his attention back to Zero and looked like he desperately wanted to hug him, but settled for an awkward pat on his leg. Cross' eyes were huge with sympathy and Zero hated that look. Knowing he was going to keep looking at him like that until he said something, Zero opened his mouth and gave a shaky reply.

"I'll be fine as soon as I get out of here." Mumbled Zero cursing himself for having his voice sound unsteady and un sure.

Cross just looked at him sympathetically.

"I know how much you hate hospitals, since they remind you of…that night. So I've spoken to the doctors but I'm afraid your injuries are too severe to let you go just yet."

Zero paled and although he tried to play it calm, the heart monitor betrayed his true feelings since the beeping immediately sped up. Zero desperately wanted to leave the hospital, but not for the reason the headmaster thought. He just wanted to be gone before the doctors would come back and start asking questions…questions he couldn't answer!

Meanwhile, Cross; misunderstanding the reason for his increased heart rate tried his best to reassure Zero.

"I'm sorry Zero, but I'm afraid Ichiru attending to your every need is not going to cut it. You'll need real nurses to monitor you."

At the mention of Ichiru's name, the heart monitor involuntarily skipped a beat. Zero prayed no one noticed, and worked hard at controlling his breathing so his heart did not race in fear like he wanted it to.

"Speaking of, where is your brother? I'm surprised he's not glued to your side worrying about you. You two are so close after all."

At this point, the thought that Cross actually thought the two brothers were close was almost laughable. Zero would have snorted if it was under different circumstances and he wasn't paralyzed in fear at the very question he himself so wanted to know.

"_Yes, where are you Ichiru?"_

Zero shivered and couldn't help letting his eyes do a quick scan of the room, half expecting him to jump out at any moment. When he was sure the room was clear, Zero took a deep breath and schooled all his features, bracing himself for the oncoming lie he was about to tell.

"Actually Ichiru is not here. He's on a trip." Zero blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Before mentally slapping himself at how fake it sounded.

"A trip?" Echoed the headmaster, with a skeptical expression.

"_Get it together Zero! Tell the lie properly! It's not just your life that would be in danger it would be theirs as well!"_ He told himself angrily. Taking a another deep breath, and making sure his heart beat was once again steady, he looked directly in the headmasters eyes and replied coolly.

"Yes. He heard about a doctor in a few towns over who had been conducting some re-search on my condition. The doctor had a few theories that may help prolong the effects of my pills, and slow the process down to a dormant stage so that more time will be available to find a cure. I told Ichiru not to get his hopes up, but well you know him, if there's any chance I'll get better, he'll jump on it! So he left a couple days ago. He's not due back for a few weeks."

Zero was impressed himself that he was able to come up with such a lie on the spot. He had almost blown it when it came to saying his name, and he was sure his heart skipped another beat upon mentioning it, but thankfully Cross hadn't seem to notice and had bought the lie.

Zero snuck a glance at Kaname and to his dismay he was studying him carefully. Quickly looking away, Zero knew Kaname was closer than anyone on figuring out what was happening. In fact it had looked like Kaname had not bought the lie at all! Gritting his teeth Zero turned his attention back to Cross when he heard that despicable name being mentioned again!

"Oh that Ichiru. Well someone must call him and let him know! He'll be worried sick when he finds out-"

"There's no way to reach him." Zero said quickly cutting off Cross mind-sentence.

The headmaster simply frowned. "Surely there must be a way! Do you have the number for the doctor he is visiting? We can contact him from that."

"Actually. I'd prefer not to have him worry. He would just freak out and cut his trip short, so I'd like to just keep this between us and I'll let him know when he gets back." Zero said hurriedly.

"Zero…are you sure that's a good idea? He's your twin; he has a right to know something awful has happened to you!"

Zero wanted to laugh. _"If you only know who it was that did this 'awful' thing."_ Zero thought bitterly before shaking his head to Cross' concern.

"I'm sure. I don't want to worry him unnecessarily."

Cross looked at him for a few minutes, and for a second Zero was sure he was going to insist it was necessary and demand the number for the made-up doctor, but to his relief the headmaster decided to let it go.

"Well it's your decision. But Zero, that means that there's no one home to take care of you! When you get out of this hospital you simply MUST stay at my place! Don't you worry! I'll come to your every beck and call and help with your every need!" He said animatedly.

Zero cringed. He knew Cross meant well, but if he went back to his place he was sure he would not be left alone! Cross would probably even try to help him bathe, and then what would happen when he saw the scars?! If he saw them there would be no way Cross would let it go!

He was willing to bet anything that if he accepted Cross' invitation, the man would keep pestering him non-stop until he sees through one of his lies! And if he were to find out, not only would he most likely do something stupid like blame himself for not noticing sooner, but he would never look at Zero the same again without pitying him!

Zero shook his head fiercely. If there was one thing he couldn't stand it were those damn pitying looks! He never wanted anyone's pity, because he deserved this!

"_I'm a murderer after all."_

Zero's thoughts were quickly turning to self loathing so he tried to focus on the subject at hand.

"_Right; staying at Cross' place. Ichiru is already mad at Cross for calling him, if he were to look for me, that would be the first place he'd check! No I can't stay there."_ Decided Zero.

"Not that I don't appreciate the offer but…the last time I was at your place was when…when my parents got in their accident. There are just too many memories there that I'm not ready to face yet." Zero whispered letting tears fill up in his eyes to really sell his lie.

Zero knew he was going to hate himself for what he was going to say next, and had to get the next sentence out through pure clenched teeth.

"Besides…Kaname already offered to let me stay at his place."

* * *

_**Sorry this chapter was a little slow, but I needed to get this out of the way so the story still makes sense when it comes to what the adults are thinking. (Yes, they are still clueless that Ichiru is evil) Plus I figured it wouldn't really be realistic if Cross didn't find out about Zero since he was so close to his family and all. Anyway, Next chapter will be better plot wise I promise! ;)**_

* * *

_**Also just want to say thanks to all of you who gave me their opinion on what Job Zero should have! Especially all of you who took the time to PM me on the matter! :) A lot of you had some keen observations and some great ideas and I've taken everything you've all said into consideration.**_

_**I'm especially impressed that all of you were so observant to details such as Zero not being able to be a stripper because of his scars. (Of course, he could always be forced to wear make up to cover it up… ;) )**_

_**That being said, it seems that "option B – Scandalous" has won! I'm not sure about the stripper bit either (Since I'm planning on doing a total separate story on Zero's life as a stripper) so I'm leaning towards a bartending…but we shall see. ;)**_

_**Anyway thanks again for all of your opinions! I really appreciate it! :]**_


	10. PART 1 Chapter 10

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter ten – New Home**_

* * *

Kaname whipped his head up in disbelief.

_He's actually taking me up on the offer?!" _

Zero merely shot him a look that said _"Don't make a big deal about this."_

Zero then turned his attention back to Cross who looked just as bewildered as Kaname.

"Really?! I had no idea you were so close!"

Zero had to stop himself for yelling _"WE'RE NOT!"_ But instead nodded his head through gritted teeth.

The headmaster looked suspicious for a second, but then smiled again and dove back into his cheerful demeanor.

"How nice! Little Zero-kun is finally making friends! Now Kaname-kun, you better take good care of him!" Cross said wagging a finger at Kaname.

Kaname nodded his head with a gentle smile that made Zero catch his breath.

"Of course. I promise, I will make sure nothing bad happens to Zero." He replied seriously.

Zero, who was a little surprised at the fierceness in Kaname's words, and couldn't help but wonder yet again why Kaname was going out of his way to help him.

Zero gave Kaname a side look, and could see there was slight frown marring his perfect features. Kaname seemed to be deep in thought, and he looked to be one scowl away from one of Zero's famous death glares.

"_Why does he look so angry? Does seeing me hurt make him that upset?"_ Zero wondered confusedly.

He was so busy studying Kaname he barely registered Cross taking his leave.

"Well I'm sure you both have a lot to talk about if you're really moving in, so I'll leave you both alone. Zero-kun, I hope you feel better and remember you can always call me if you need anything!"

With that Cross left the room. And If Zero was paying attention, he might've found it weird that Cross left so quickly, or the serious expression worn on his face, but Zero had more important things to worry about, so this went unnoticed by him as Cross exited the building deep in thought.

Kaname watched Zero cautiously, (making sure to school his hopeful features) as he slowly asked  
"So are you really taking me up on my offer?"

Zero was silent for a minute as he really pondered the possibility. If he stayed here, the doctors would come back to question him which he just couldn't allow. But at the same time, if he accepted, then he would be putting Kaname in danger; and he certainly couldn't do that!

As if reading his mind, Kaname suddenly said

"You would be safe there. We both would. As the sole heir to the Kuran corporations, I've had plenty of attempted attacks before, and none have succeeded to break into my house."

Zero's eyes widened in surprise before he quickly remembered his lie and replied somewhat shakily. "Why would I care about being safe?"

Still, the relief was evident in his voice, and Kaname internally smiled at his small victory of reassuring Zero.

"So it's decided then. I'll speak to the doctors and you can move in tonight."

When Kaname saw Zero's raised eyebrows, he decided to elaborate further.

"The Kurans have made many grand donations to the hospital, I'm sure they owe me a favor. Besides, I have the best private doctors in town. I'm sure you'll be in better hands in the comfort of your new home."

"Why are you helping me so much?" Zero asked softly.

Of course the underlining question was not just about offering to take him in, or getting him out of the hospital early. He was asking why he cared, and why he saved him from Ichiru.

Kaname was silent for a moment, he finally answered with "I don't know." And swiftly turned around to leave the room, almost missing the soft reply of "thanks." From behind him.

The thing was, Kaname did know. Yes, it was partly because he was starting to care for Zero and the idea of him getting hurt angered him to know end! But perhaps the main reason was… atonement. He barely realized the name that escaped from his lips.

_"Yuuki."_

Was this because of her? Because he couldn't save her and now there was a chance to save someone else to make up for it? Shaking his head quickly and not wanting to drudge on the past, he quickened his pace to find the nearest doctor and make the necessary arrangements for Zero to leave the hospital.

* * *

3 hours and many negotiations later, Zero was finally allowed to leave the hospital, which led him to where he was now; stepping out of Kaname's limo and staring at the grand mansion before his eyes.

His legs were a still a bit wobbly and he had to hold on to the outside of the car door to keep from falling, but he was still surprised when Kaname suddenly scooped him up and cradled him against his chest.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Spluttered Zero.

Kaname merely smirked. "Relax, it's not like this is the first time I've carried you."

Zero blushed scarlet when he remembered the incident in the shooting range at school, and stubbornly refused to say another word. Kaname chuckled and gently carried Zero through the door and up the stairs towards the guest rooms. After gently depositing Zero onto the bed, he reminded him that the private doctors will be there soon to check up on him.

Zero just nodded distractedly. The fluffy pillows on the bed looked warm and inviting, and it had been a long time since he slept on an actual bed and not some hard floor that Ichiru would leave him half un-conscious lying on.

Kaname sensing Zero's exhaustion decided to wisely leave him alone to get familiar with his surroundings.

"You must be tired, so I'll leave the tour of the house for tomorrow."

Kaname moved to get up but was stopped when he felt a hand holding tightly onto his sleeve. Surprised, Kaname turned to see Zero blushing and facing the away from him so that he couldn't see his expression other than the twinge of pink on his cheeks.

"Zero, did you want me to stay?" Kaname asked softly.

Zero abruptly let go of Kaname's sleeve and (if possible) blushed even darker. There was no way that Zero was going to admit he was scared nightmares of Ichiru would surface the minute he's left alone. So instead he tried to reply haughtily.

"Whatever. It's your house so you can do whatever you want" He scoffed.

Kaname just smiled gently as he sat on the edge of Zero's bed and gently held Zero's hand in his own.

"It's your house now too."

Zero didn't reply, but he didn't move his hand out of Kaname's either.

They both sat in silence for a few minutes, each one thinking about different things. Finally Kaname risked ruining the moment by asking the question million dollar question.

"Zero…you know you're going to have to tell me eventually right? Who it was that did this to you…"

Zero took a sharp inhale of breath but otherwise didn't reply.

Just when Kaname thought the wasn't going to get an answer, Zero spoke coldly

"Why do you care?"

Zero knew at this point it would be stupid to pretend his injuries were a mere accident. And Kaname was already wary of his excuses about being in fights. Of course that didn't mean he was even considering telling Kaname about Ichiru. He was not ready for that type of sharing yet. He was barely starting to trust Kaname after all.

Kaname sighed heavily in return. He couldn't answer that question yet because he himself didn't know.

"_Why do I care so much?"_

Of course he was human, and so anyone would be upset to see something so unfortunate happen to someone their age, but the question still remained why did he care for Zero so much o the point where he couldn't get him out of his head?

After a few moments of silence, Kaname finally replied with part of the truth.

"No one deserves that kind of treatment."

Zero bristled. Kaname's tone was laced with pity, and the main reason he agreed to come here instead of with Cross was to avoid that! He knew all along that Kaname didn't care and was just feeling sorry for him but to hear Kaname confirm that somehow hurt so much more.

"I don't need your pity!" Snapped Zero angrily.

Kaname looked slightly taken aback, and opened his mouth to reply. But before the conversation could continue any further, the door burst open and a middle aged man walked in wearing a lab coat and carrying a doctor's bag. Behind him were 3 assistants all carrying expensive medical equipment.

"I see the doctor is here, I'll leave you alone then." Kaname said in a voice devoid of any emotion.

As Kaname exited the room, and left through the corridor to return to his own room, he couldn't help but slow his pace as he passed a certain closed door 2 doors down from his own. It had been a long time since he had been in that room. Kaname briefly considered entering, and even unlocked the door with the cold silver key hidden on top of the door frame; but instead of opening the door, he merely closed his eyes and gently touched the outside of the door. He didn't need to be in the room to imagine exactly how it used to look like. The pink wallpaper, and neatly made bed probably still lay un touched just like all those years ago.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, He stepped away from the door and opened his eyes which were burning with a new found sense of determination.

_"I will find whoever it was that hurt Zero and make them wish they were never born."_ He promised.

* * *

Zero opened his eyes slowly and realized he was alone in the room once again.

"I must've dozed of once the doctors left." Zero thought.

Looking around, if it weren't for the comfy bed and obviously expensive room décor instead of stiff blank walls, Zero may have mistaken himself for being back at the hospital. Especially with all the medical machines lying around and hooked up around him.

"_Kaname certainly wasn't kidding when he said he had the best private doctors around! They had brought even more equipment than the hospital had!" _He thought.

Speaking of Kaname, Zero decided as much as it pained him to do so, he really had to give him his thanks. The doctors hadn't asked a single question regarding how he obtained his injuries!

That wasn't to say that Zero was suddenly cured of his irrational fear of doctors, or that it was any less unnerving having someone inspect his injuries now matter how hard Zero insisted that "he was fine" But still, all things considered, it could have gone a lot worse. One thing was for sure, was that if Zero was still in that hospital, those doctors would have demanded to know exactly what happened.

"_Yes. I definitely owe Kaname some thanks."_

With that thought in mind, Zero slowly got out of the bed, careful not to stand up to quickly and risk dizziness.

Zero knew that all this was just a distraction for himself, and none of it would last. He knew sooner or later he would have to face the mess that he'd left behind and would most likely break down.

"_But I have all night to worry about Ichiru. Right now, it's nice to just push the thoughts at the far back of my mind and try not to think about it." _Zero thought as he slipped back into his familiar mask of indifference.

Opening the door slowly, Zero gaped as he saw all the doors! He knew he should have asked for that tour sooner! Sighing to himself, he had a feeling it was going to be harder than he thought to locate Kaname.

After walking down the hallways aimlessly for a few minutes, he finally came across a corridor with 3 big doors. Since there were the only doors in the hallway, Zero figured it was the main bedrooms.

"_One of them must be Kaname's"_

Zero thought as he walked towards the center one first. He knew it was a bit rude to barge in, but he figured the easiest way to see if he was in there; would be to just open the door. Besides, he was a bit curious to see what the room would look like. (At This point Zero didn't even consider the simple possibility of knocking.) So Zero gripped the doorknob of the room in the center and gave it a slight tug. Slightly disappointed, he realized it was locked.

"_It must be his parent's room."_ Zero thought aloud.

Of course, Kaname never even mentioned parents so he couldn't be too sure, and considering the fact that Kaname had invited him into his house without informing his parents proved that they definitely weren't home. But either way it was not the door he was looking for.

He then looked at the doors on either side, and finally deciding on the one closes to the stairs.

Surprisingly, the door knob turned. With slight curiosity, Zero turned the handle and swung the door open. However, it clearly wasn't what he was expecting since it definitely was not Kaname's room.

It was obviously a young girl's room if the pink wall paper was anything to judge by. But before Zero could get a better look at the interior of the room, a voice whispered behind him.

"My sisters' room. Mine is 2 doors down."

Startled, Zero turned around to see Kaname was standing behind him with an expression of such regret and sorrow that Zero was momentarily forgot where he was.

Before Zero could even stammer out an explanation for his snooping, Kaname had effectively shut the door before he even had the chance to move from the doorway.

"You have a sister?" Asked Zero questionably as he wondered why he's never seen a female-Kaname running around the school.

"I _had_ a sister." Kaname corrected.

Before Zero could question any further, Kaname took out a silver key and locked the door, effectively ending the conversation.

Not that Zero minded. He knew more than anyone what it was like to have family secrets. And hey, who was he to pry when he refused to tell Kaname a single hint about his own home life?

So the silverette merely shrugged and followed Kaname back into the hallway.

"You were looking for me?"

Kaname guessed as he led Zero down the hall and into a small sitting room. (Kaname would have taken Zero to the main living room, but he figured it would be hard for Zero to get down the stairs.)

"Yeah."

Zero said awkwardly as he sat down next to Kaname on the couch. He was never really good at this.

"I just wanted to,uhh you know say uhh...thanks." He mumbled softly.

Kaname smiled. "There's no need to thank me Zero. I promise you'll be safe here."

Zero just shook his head. That wasn't what he meant, and Kaname knew it. He was thanking him for asking the doctors not to pry in his business. But that wasn't all; he was thanking Kaname for everything he was doing for him. _"Even if it is strictly out of pity." _Zero thought sadly.

Kaname was used to Zero's silence by now, so he merely continued talking.

"There are however a few house rules we need to go over."

Zero suddenly stiffened and he felt his throat run dry.

"Rules?" He echoed softly.

Suddenly memories of Ichiru's rules were drilled into his head, and he could barely suppress a shudder that ran throughout his body. Zero clenched his fists and quickly rested them on his lap to hide their shaking.

He couldn't understand kindness, or someone honestly caring about him and wanting to take care of him. But rules to keep disgusting filth like him in line; _that_ he could understand.

Kaname, not yet aware of Zero's discomfort continued calmly.

"Yes, just a few things. You will always notify me before you go out and take someone with you (I have a few body guards or family employees that you could use.) We will leave together for school, and if I have DC meetings afterschool, you will wait for me so that we can come back home together. You will make sure you take all your required medicine _ON TIME_." At this point Kaname looked sharply at Zero (obviously remembering the incident when Zero forget to take his pills) before he continued more gently. "You will go for all your daily checkups with the private doctor without complaints, you will eat at least 3 times a day, and will make sure to always be in the main dining hall for dinner at 7 everyday. And finally, while you are here all expenses will be covered by me so for now if you need anything or want anything just let me know until we can set up some sort of allowance." Kaname quickly had added in that last rule when he remembered how Zero didn't have any money for lunch. "If I think of anything else to add I'll let you know." Kaname finished.

Zero was quiet for a few moments. He had a lot of problems with those rules! For one thing he did not need some babysitter to follow him around if he wanted to leave the house! He didn't particularly want to take rides to and from school either since that would break another or Ichiru's old rules. (Although, Zero was pretty sure living at Kaname's house also counted as breaking a rule.) He hated seeing doctors and nothing was going to change that! (Maybe Zero could convince Kaname to just let Kaito be the one to do his checkups.) But finally, the thing that bothered him the most was the expenses. It was bad enough if he was going to be getting some allowance like a little kid, but Kaname was already doing way too much for him, and he just didn't want to owe him anymore than he already did!

And yet, with all these thoughts floating around in his head, Zero dared not voice a single one. At least not until he got the most important question off his chest.

"What's the punishment for breaking a rule?" Zero croaked nervously.

"_Punishment?"_ Kaname thought confusedly. He wondered what rule Zero was so worried about breaking if he was actually thinking it was worth a punishment.

"Let's not worry about punishments for now."

Unknowing to Kaname, this only made Zero even more nervous! Ichiru only used to keep the punishments a "surprise" when they were really cruel and unusual.

Zero gulped loudly and felt himself sweating nervously. Somewhere deep in his mind a little voice was telling him that Kaname was not like Ichiru and wouldn't hurt him, but that voice got pushed away as fear started to take over.

Taking a deep breath, Zero finally decided to voice his opinion on the rule that was bothering him the most.

"You really don't have to cover my expenses for me. I have a job so…"

"Zero. It's really no big deal for me to cover your expenses. As long as you live under my roof I promised to take care of you this includes any and all types of expenses. And as for your job, I really don't think it's a good idea to continue working there; especially since you're still recovering. Technically you're not even supposed to be released from the hospital yet."

"B-But I don't want to quit my job and-"

Zero suddenly cut himself off as he realized that whenever Ichiru had "suggested" he do something, it was really an order. So That meant that Kaname was probably ordering him to quit his job, and when Zero protested it could be taken as disobeying an order! Suddenly gasping, Zero shut his eyes and started hugging himself as memories of punishments for "talking back" washed over him.

Opening his eyes again he saw Kaname was watching with a look of concern which Zero didn't understand.

"_Why would he be concerned about me? He's just going to punish me for talking back and going against his order!"_

"Zero? Are you alright?" Kaname asked gently moving to touch Zero on the shoulder.

Zero involuntarily flinched hard. And had to keep himself from scooting away from the touch. He knew he was trembling, but he didn't care. All he could think about were visions of torture sessions every time he broke a rule.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. You can keep your job if it means that much to you." Kaname said as he gently pulled Zero into his chest and rubbed soothing circles on his back.

That was all the push Zero needed for his mask to finally crack and to break down crying.

* * *

_**So I'm finally back! :D I know I know, I've been gone for almost a month! (Please don't hate me!) But moving to another province did require some time. Anyway I'm all settled into my dorm room now and the internet is all set up and ready to go! I know that's still no excuse, but I'm sure you all know how it is when school starts and you got to get used to the major work load when you're so used to summer. *sigh* anyway! I tried to make this chapter extra long to make up for my lateness, annnd just letting you all know all my stories will be updated today or this weekend so be sure to check back!**_

_**As always, a huuuuge thank you to all those who viewed, favourited and followed! You guys are awesome, Love ya! Special shout out to those who reviewed! The EXTRAS PAGE has been updated, so all replies to my lovely reviewers are there! :D**_

_**Xoxo!**_


	11. PART 1 Chapter 11

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter eleven- Decisions**_

* * *

Kaname froze for a second, slightly shocked by Zero's outburst before quickly tightening his hold on Zero and pulling him closer to his chest.

"Shhh, it's okay. Let it out." He murmured softly while stroking Zero's hair.

This only made Zero sob harder as Kaname felt his warm tears soaking through the shoulder of his shirt.

For Zero it was as if the dam had broken, and he had finally cracked. Every tear he had been holding back for the last several years all came pouring out.

"I-I just..." Zero blubbered trying to get the words out. Eventually he just buried his face deeper in Kaname's shoulder and willed the tears to stop.

It could have been minutes, or perhaps hours. Kaname wasn't sure but he didn't care; he would have spent days holding Zero if it meant offering some sort of comfort to ease the burden off his shoulders. So he merely hugged him tighter and continued to whisper soft words of comfort and encouragement until Zero went slack in his arms.

Whether it was from exhaustion or from exertion from his injuries, Kaname couldn't be sure, but either way Zero had seemed to cry himself to sleep.

He slowly and cautiously pulled away and gently ungrasped Zero's hands that were still tightly clenching his shirt. He then moved to lay him down on the couch and covered him with the couch throw that always lay on the back of the chair.

He smoothed down Zero's hair, and gently wiped away the last few stray tears that were running down his cheek.

He still wasn't exactly sure what had happened, to trigger Zero's break down like that, but he figured it was progress from all the lies and keeping things bottled up.

That being said, it still broke Kaname's heart to see Zero so distressed.

Sighing, Kaname wanted nothing more than to stay by Zero's side and be there for him when he woke up, but he knew the doctor was waiting to speak to him. He ran a hand across his own hair before exiting the room and going to find the doctor who had examined Zero.

He found him waiting in the formal living room on the main floor.

"Kuran-sama." The doctor said formally.

Kaname inclined his head impatiently, wanting to skip the formalities and for the doctor to just get on with it.

"Well?"

The doctor nodded and handed Kaname a file which held information on all of Zero's injuries and medical history.

"I am almost one hundred percent sure he has been abused. And not just recently. According to the fading of some of his scars, and the colour of bruises, I'd say this has been going on for a quite a while."

Kaname whipped open the manila folder and paled as he scanned it content. He didn't read the whole thing, but certain phrases and sentences stood out to him:

"_Multiple Stab wounds to the shoulder, chest, abdominal area, stomach, thigh, calf, arm, and back…_

…_Shows marks of whips and lacerations towards the back and chest area…_

…_Third degree burns on hip, shoulder, back, and thighs…_

…_Bruises cover most visible areas of body…_

…_Internal bleeding, bruising of the lungs and liver…_

…_Cracked ribs, previous fractured wrist, fractured ankle…_

…_Nerves show sign of high electricity current (possibly in the form of a tazer)…_

…_Shows signs of previous ingestion of poison (not enough to kill, but enough to cause discomfort and bodily harm)…_

…_Shows sign of Post-traumatic stress, trauma, anxiety, depression…_

…_Suffers from frequent panic attacks…_

…_Suffers from frequent "attacks" with the stages of his heart declines to level E…_

Kaname shook his head and closed the file. He had read enough. He had barely glanced at the first page in the folder and he was already feeling sick with rage! He was right when he had thought Zero was hiding something, but he didn't realize it was this bad!

"_I should have known! I should have been there for him! How could I not have realized and just let him suffer?!"_

Of course the rational part of his mind reminded him that he couldn't have known since he barely talked to the teen, but he refused to listen to the voice of reason and continued to clench and unclench his jaw.

Kaname took a deep breath and tried to calm his bubbling anger. He turned his attention back to the doctor and tucked the folder under his arm; he would read the rest later in his study without any interruptions.

"You remember what I instructed you to do. When you come back for his daily checkups you will not comment or say a word about his injuries. Not only that but you will tell no one about Zero or anything you found out today. Understand? "

"Of course Kuran-sama." The old man bowed again before taking his leave.

Kaname meanwhile started to pace back and forth. He knew he really should contact the authorities, but the thing was he selfishly wanted to handle the matter himself to prove to Zero that he could trust him! Not only that, but he knew more than anyone that once the adults get involved, you get shoved aside and told to "stay out of the way." Kaname shook his head as he began to pace once more.

Almost unconsciously, his feet took him towards the large family portrait on top of the mantel piece above the fire place.

His eyes strayed to the young girl in the picture with big bright eyes and a ribbon in her hair. He let his fingers ghost over the picture before abruptly turning away before any moisture could well up in his eyes.

"No. I made the mistake of trusting an adult once and I'll never make that mistake again! I'll do what I should have done years ago and just take care of this myself!"

Grinning somewhat sadistically, he hastily made a brisk walk to his personal study. He had some calls to make.

* * *

Zero blearily opened his eyes. And found himself tucked cozily onto the warm couch.

For a second he forgot where he was and was about to jump off the couch before Ichiru found him there, but then he realized this wasn't his couch, and it all came back to him.

He groaned out loud as he remembered crying like a baby in Kaname's shirt.

Rubbing his eyes, he slowly left the room to look for a bathroom so and finally found one down the hall.

Zero always despised looking in mirrors because whenever he did he would see those lilac eyes and silver hair, and it would be as If it was Ichiru staring back at him. He couldn't even remember the last time he looked at his reflection, and he wasn't going to start now.

He didn't need to look to know that his eyes were probably puffy and red, and his face twinged with purple bruises.

He wished Ichiru hadn't thrown out his makeup case. He still remembered when he had found it. Ichiru flipped out and said that the marks and scars were proof of his ownership on him, and that covering it up meant he was "denying" that Zero belonged to him.

Shuddering, Zero still remembers that particular torture session. Needless to say he had to think of other ways to cover everything up.

"_But I suppose now that I'm here I could get some more…"_

Zero left the bathroom and wandered back into the room he was in before. He just noticed that there was a steaming cup of tea left for him on the coffee table.

"_Did Kaname leave this here for me?" _

Zero wondered finding himself feeling slightly warm that Kaname thought of him.

Since it was still hot, Zero decided that Kaname must have just left right before he woke up.

He was thankful for that. There was no way he was ready to face Kaname after that embarrassing outburst.

"_But I really do need to get some cover up…" _

Zero debated swallowing his pride and finding Kaname to ask him to buy him some, but then quickly shook the idea from his head. Apart from still trying to get over the fact that he had cried and blubbered on his shoulder (and probably ruined Kaname's expensive shirt), he still wasn't comfortable asking him for any money let alone money to buy make up!

"_He's doing more than enough for me already."_

It was then that Zero remembered that he still had his job, so he could just get the money from there.

Zero heard footsteps coming down the stairs and approaching the room, so he quickly shuffled out of there and made his way to the front entrance.

"_I can't face Kaname right now. I can't face anything!"_

Zero sucked in a deep breath. Everything felt too raw. Ichiru, The hospital, lying to Cross, coming here, having a break down… It was all too much for the teen.

He didn't want to think about any of that, he needed a distraction. Which was exactly why he took off and left for his old work place, completely forgetting about Kaname's new rules.

Zero left the house, and mentally cursed himself for not paying closer attention to the turns they had made when they rode in the limo coming back from the hospital. It took him a while longer, but eventually he managed to find himself in similar surroundings.

Once there, he took off in the familiar direction of the 'Old Bakery Shoppe' he worked at.

Zero knew he looked like shit, but the owner of the bakery was an old man who was very friendly and never asked any questions. Of course that may have been because he was practically blind (he wore the oldest pair of glasses imaginable and really needed to update his prescription) but Zero preferred it that way. The less the man knew the better. If he couldn't see the bruises on Zero's face it was just easier for him.

Shaking out of his musings, he opened the door and heard the familiar little 'ding' of the bell hanging above the door frame.

Not wasting any time, Zero walked around back and was about to slip on one of the white aprons, when he figured he better let the old man know he was here early, and find out if there were actually any shifts available

"Oi! Ji-ji?" Zero called out.

Soon enough an old man with grey hair hobbled out

"Zero? Is that you?" He said squinting behind his think rimmed glasses. "What are you doing here? Did you forget something?"

Puzzled Zero shook his head, "No I was just wondering if I could start my shift early."

"Zero. My eyes may not be what they used to, but my mind is just fine. You just came by an hour ago and told me you were quitting. Gave me quite an earful, you did. Said you couldn't be bothered anymore and that I should find a replacement."

Stunned, Zero gaped at the man_. "Ichiru had come by here?! But why? And what on earth did he say?"_

"B-but! It couldn't have been me! I was-"

"Zero. You're the only one I know who has silver hair and lilac eyes. Don't try to mess with me boy." The old man snapped.

Zero just sighed. Once Heisuke decided on something, there was no changing the stubborn old man's mind. Even if Zero did manage to convince him that he actually does have a twin, he would just ask why he never mentioned it before.

Pointing out the fact that he had a tattoo while the person who came in here not; was also not an option since the old man probably never even noticed the tattoo with those glasses.

So Zero did the only thing he could think of; lie.

"I know, I came to you earlier, but I had a change of heart. I take back what I said! I really really want to keep this job!" He pleaded.

But Heisuke just shook his head.

"Zero… I meant what I said when I tried to convince you stay, you remind me so much of my grandson, but it's true what you said. You won't ever try to amount to anything if you always have this job as a safety net to fall back on. If you don't work here, you will be motivated to find a better job…a career!"

"_This isn't working! Damn you Ichiru!" _Zero thought worriedly.

"Uhm, but couldn't I at least work until you find a replacement?"

"No need, I called that number you gave me and hired that nice young girl."

Heisuke smiled and clapped Zero on the back. "I'm real proud of ya boy. Now go on. Get out of here and start your new life! That internship you were telling me about sounds really amazing. Oh here, take some buns for the road; they're fresh out of the oven."

…

Zero left the bakery in a daze.

"_What? How? What just happened?!"_

He knew Ichiru was clever… but he underestimated how well he knew Zero. Pretending that he got some better job somewhere because he knew Heisuke wouldn't want to hold him back…and then making him hire a young girl because he knew Zero wouldn't have the heart to take the job away from her!

It was too much. Zero felt like he was just a pawn who was being moved around by Ichiru. It worried him that Ichiru could predict exactly where Zero would be, and that he had so easily convinced someone he was him, or that he had successfully cut off his only form of income!

Zero shivered, suddenly feeling very cold.

"_If Ichiru can do that… how long until he finds out I'm living with Kaname? How long until he tracks me down? How long until he kills someone I care about? How long until he kills me?! "_

Zero was bordering on panic and hysteria. And he barely realized where he was going until he smacked straight into someone!

Wincing as his injured body screamed with pain, he looked up into the eyes of a pretty young woman with long flowing blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"Sorry." Zero muttered. Before quickly moving to walk away.

"My, my, a pretty young boy such as yourself shouldn't be making such a sad face."

Pausing, Zero turned to look back at her.

"Tell me, what's got you looking so sad?"

Zero wanted to snort. What _doesn't_ have him being sad?!

Sighing to himself, he figured there was no harm in telling her (although he would leave out all the Ichiru stuff.)

"I need a job." He replied stiffly, wondering to himself why he was even talking to this woman.

"Oh, is that all?" she purred. "Well I happen to have a job opening available… why don't you come work for me?"

Zero for whatever reason found himself nodding eagerly. _"Maybe something is finally going to go right in my life!"_

"I'm Zero Kiryu." He said sticking out his hand.

She shook it gently before replying "Sara Shirabuki."

* * *

_**And so we enter Sara! And now, that poll about Zero's "new job" will start to come into play! ;)**_

_**(Because I'm sure you were all thinking there was nothing scandalous about a bakery) haha!**_

_**P.s: I'm sure some of you are annoyed with Kaname for not telling the police or something, but trust me, he has his reasons. All will be revealed in time! ;)**_

_**Anyway, as always, a major thank you to all those who viewed, followed, and favourited! You guys rock! Big shout out to all those who reviewed, I LOVE YOU ALL! :D Speaking of, the extras page has been updated, so go check it out for replies to all my lovely comments :]**_

_**Xoxo!**_

_**And ps: happy thanks giving! :D**_


	12. PART 1 Chapter 12

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter twelve- New Job**_

* * *

Zero innocently followed Sara as she led him down multiple streets. Zero wasn't sure how long they had been walking, but it wasn't soon before he was in an area he didn't recognize at all.

"So what is it you do again?"

Zero asked starting to feel slightly hesitant.

"Oh I run a small business." Sara said dismissively.

Finally, outside a rundown looking building, Sara stopped at a side door and pulled out a small silver key from her purse. She unlocked the door and beckoned for Zero to follow her in.

Zero was surprised to see the inside looked nothing like the shabby building outside. Instead, it looked to be a high class club!

"You own a club?" Zero asked, slightly shocked that the young woman in front of him owned an establishment like this.

Sara giggled. "Sweetie, it's not just a club, it's a business. You see we only get very high class patrons here."

Eying, the various strip poles and cages, Zero got the feeling this wasn't some "ordinary dance club." He suddenly felt self conscious of all his scars and crossed his arms over his chest in a protective manner.

"So what exactly is this job again?"

Sara laughed loudly. "Don't look so scared, I'm not going to ask you to be a stripper if that's what you're worried about. I can only have flawless bodies up there." She said eyeing his bruised face with a wink.

Zero didn't even bat an eye at the insult, he already knew his body was ugly, Ichiru told him enough times. So having someone else confirm it didn't come as a surprise.

"And you're certainly not cut out for a bouncer!" She laughed, obviously insinuating that he was a weakling.

Zero tried not to let that one bother him too much. A week ago, he had the reputation of biggest badass in school, no one would even DARE to think he was weak, and now he was crying on Kaname's shoulder to the point of passing out, and a woman he'd never even met before was thinking he couldn't even hold his own in a fight! Of course it was true…he couldn't. He was too used to not fighting back, but still! How quickly things had changed.

"So I was thinking you could be my bartender." She finally said.

Zero raised an eye at this. He certainly knew how to mix drinks from when Ichiru decided he was in the mood for something to relax, but still...

"Uhm, don't you need to see some ID? I mean I'm only-"

Sara quickly put a finger to his lips effectively cutting him off before he revealed his age.

Zero just tried not to flinch at the close contact.

"As far as I'm concerned, you're just someone who needs a job, and I'm helping you out. We'll be on a need to know basis. So that way no one gets in trouble kay? "

Zero nodded. He had a feeling the kind of club she was running wasn't exactly all legal anyway.

"Look hun, you'll have to work late nights, but the pays pretty good, plus tips. So do you want it or not?"

Before Zero could stop himself he found himself nodding.

"Great!" She squealed clapping her hands excitedly.

"Well then if you want, you can get started on your training right away, and then start your shift tonight if you have nowhere else to be."

Zero nodded, completely forgetting all about Kaname's new rules.

"Super! Then I suggest you go see Maria. She handles all the make up for our dancers, but I think you could use a little too hmm? We can't have you scaring away all our customers now!" Laughing to herself again over her insult she pointed him in the direction of the dressing rooms before sashaying away to what Zero assumed to be her office upstairs.

Feeling somewhat content, Zero walked off in the direction she had pointed him too, praising himself for his sudden turn of good luck.

"_A bartender's not so bad as long as it means I'm making money! I'll even get the makeup taken care of!"_

With that thought in mind he opened the door to the back dressing room to see a young woman with long ash grey hair.

She looked him up and down, but didn't comment further on how he got any of his bruises, and instead simply motioned for him to sit down on a small stool in front of a large vanity mirror.

"I'm Maria Kurenai." She said softly. "You're Zero."

She said in more of a statement than a question but Zero nodded anyway. He briefly wondered how she knew his name, but then figured that Sara had probably told him.

Maria merely humphed as if she was greatly annoyed with his presence all of a sudden, but didn't say anything else as she mixed foundations and powders before lightly dusting Zero's face with makeup.

When she was done Zero didn't want to look at his reflection, but he knew he wouldn't exactly be able to explain why if Maria were to ask, especially since she seemed to be waiting for some sort of response from him.

So he slowly brought his gaze up until lilac eyes were staring back at him in his reflection. He tried not to flinch. It was sad that his own reflection could bring him so much terror, but he managed to keep it together and not freak out in front of Maria.

Forcing himself to look at this as merely an inspection, and NOT Ichiru taunting him, He realized Maria had done a good job. He still looked a bit pale, but all of his bruises had been successfully covered up. Almost as if it never happened.

For a second Zero faltered, and felt slightly annoyed, because it _did_ happen. And no amount of makeup would ever be able to cover up the pain he felt in his heart.

"_Can I really do it? Can I truly pretend none of this ever happened?"_

Zero inhaled a long breath before breathing out slowly. When he was done he let his eyes narrow steely as he mentally lectured himself.

"_Of course I can! I've done it for years and that's not gunna change just because one person offered me their shoulder to cry on!" _He thought fiercely._ "I can't afford to go soft now! If I do it would only draw attention to myself and I've broken enough of Ichiru's rules as it is! No need to break the same one twice."_

Slowly he managed to bring back on his hard cold mask and he didn't drop his gaze from the mirror till he was sure the pathetic weakling who had first came in could no longer be recognized anywhere in his expression.

"_No, that person is locked away once more. And I won't let him break free again!" _

With that thought in mind (and channeling his inner bad boy persona) he nodded at Maria and stalked out of the room, Gaining confidence in his acting skills with every step.

Because if there was one thing Zero was good at, it was lying. He had gotten so good at it; sometimes he could even be convinced to believe the lie himself.

Walking back towards the main area, he spotted the long bar table and slipped behind the counter as he stared at all the drinks trying to memorize their order.

Zero had always enjoyed working, no matter the job; he was one to throw himself into his work. Simply because it was welcoming distraction. He remembered days in the bakery when he pushed everything to the back of his head and focused so hard on the task at hand, he could almost forget about Ichiru and the pain that awaited him at home…_almost._

But the thing was, in the end that's still all it was: a distraction. Because no matter how hard he acted, or lied, or worked, Ichiru was always in the back of his mind. Haunting him. And he could never truly forget.

"_But…it's nice to pretend."_

And that's exactly what he did. He pretended that the past day never happened, and that he wasn't living at Kaname's house now. It was almost easier to imagine him sneaking back home to Ichiru's once this was done than to think about going back to Kaname's house simply because he at least knew what to expect. With Kaname; it was different. He had no idea what to expect at all!

Not just with how it was going to be to live with him, but more so not to expect when Ichiru would make his move! He felt like he was constantly looking over his shoulder even more so than he did at his own home!

Heaving a sigh, Zero pushed everything out of his mind and focused solely on the drinks effectively forgetting most of his emotional pain, even if it was only for a moment.

* * *

Kaname sighed as he rubbed his face tiredly. After checking on Zero to make sure he was still asleep and leaving a cup of hot tea for him, he had gone back to his study and read Zero's file at length, studying every gruesome detail over and over until he was pretty sure he had it memorized. Sighing he closed the manila folder and leaned back in his chair feeling incredibly drained. It probably had to do with the fact that he had so many emotions running through him he wasn't sure which one to settle on.

He felt disgusted and sick to his stomach at some of the things that had been done to him,

He felt sad to the point of holding back sobs when he thought about what he had had to go through,

He felt an immense amount of protectiveness and affection over the boy, wanting nothing more to ever happen to him again,

But more than anything, he felt a red hot burning rage, building up from the pit of his stomach and rising as every second went by.

He felt absolutely murderous, and a part of him wanted to find this person and make them endure every single thing they put Zero through! Kaname hadn't felt this malicious since "the incident" several years ago.

Taking a shaky breath and trying to calm his boiling anger, Kaname suddenly felt restless. As if it was wrong to just be sitting there when Zero's tormentor was still out there!

Growling to himself at the very thought, he slipped out of his seat and flung open the door angrily.

"I can't wait any longer! I need to figure out who did this to him NOW. And if he's not going to tell me, then I'm just going to have to figure it out myself."

He stalked down the hallway and slowed his steps as he passed the sitting room as to not disturb Zero who was so silent Kaname figured he must still be sleeping.

Kaname was in fact so deep in thought that he failed to notice the couch was empty and Zero was not even in the room.

The brunette merely made his way out the door allowing just enough time for one of his body guards to slip through before slamming the front door shut loudly, and venting some of his anger.

His Body guard, (A silent but strong girl with short hair named Sieren) wisely didn't comment on his uncharacteristic display of emotion, but instead just asked "Shall I get the car?"

Kaname paused his steps before replying "No. I want to drive this time." She nodded and went to get into her own car which would un doubtedly be following his sports car from a safe distance.

Kaname already knew his destination the moment he left his study… He was going back to Zero's house.

* * *

_**Hi. I'm backkkk! :D**_

_**So I'm so sorry I've been gone for so long, but if you've been keeping up with my other stories, then you know that I had midterm exams… :S**_

_**Still, sorry it took so long. :[ But they're done now so I can concentrate back on fanfics! :D**_

_**Thanks so much for being so patient! And of course thank you to all those who viewed, favourited, and followed! Love yaaa! Big shoutout to all those who reviewed! You have no idea how happy it made me reading all your comments after a night of stressing over studying. :]**_

_**I'll try to update soon! Till next time! :)**_

_**Xoxo!**_

_**Ps: Next update is for TCOZC and will be posted this week for sure! :)**_


	13. PART 1 Chapter 13

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter thirteen- Investigations**_

* * *

Kaname's car screeched to a stop as he pulled up in front of Zero's house. He was pleased to see that although there was caution tape around the house, there was not a police car in sight.

Sieren had stayed true to her word when he had told her he had not wanted any police to get involved and that he wanted to handle it himself.

Of course he knew that they would eventually show up. One doesn't just ignore the fact that a highschooler was almost beaten to death in his own home! But, Kaname was sure that Sieren would be stalling them for the time he needed to snoop around.

So he confidently stepped out of the car and stepped underneath the caution tape and into the house.

The door was still unlocked and slightly un-hinged from when he kicked it down, and other than the blood being cleaned off the floor everything was left exactly how he left it.

Kaname decided it was time to start his investigation. But he wasn't sure how much time he had.

He started by looking at the dingy living room. Other than an old couch, and small coffee table, the room was pretty much empty. He searched for several more minutes but came up with nothing but dust.

Frowning, that there wasn't even a tv or lamp anywhere, he made his way to the kitchen.

The fridge was completely baron, and all the cupboards were empty save for a half empty box of stale crackers. If Kaname didn't know better, he would have said that no one lived here at all!

Things got weirder when although there was no food; there were plenty of cutleries and china stacked neatly in shelves.

Kaname; having grown up in a rich house hold from childhood could tell right away that the china he was looking at was no cheap thing. They looked incredibly expensive, as did the glass wine glasses and goblets beside it. The forks and knives were also definite pure silver.

What struck him as odd was that the plates, silverware and glasses were all kept in a separate glass cabinet away from everything else in the kitchen.

Kaname just couldn't see Zero caring about dining on such expensive china, which only proved his theory that they belonged to someone else.

Scowling, Kaname started opening up drawers trying to looks for more evidence, but other than a case of extremely sharp kitchen knives, there was nothing in the kitchen that proved that any cooking was actually done there. There was not even a pot or ladle insight!

Chewing his lip in thought of what it could mean, Kaname moved from the kitchen and went up the stairs to the bedrooms.

The first room he came to was clearly the master bedroom. Kaname couldn't help but gape when he walked in. Compared to the empty living room and kitchen, he wasn't expecting the giant flat screen tv hanging on the wall, or all the sleek modern furniture! The bed itself had a built in remote controlled massager, and it was clear that everything in the room was incredibly expensive. Kaname looked around and realized there wasn't a single thing under a thousand dollars in the entire room!

"_Who could have possible lived here?" _Kaname wondered before deciding it was obviously the same person who ate on the fine china.

The room itself was done in a pale lilac, (which Kaname couldn't help but think complimented Zero's eye color very well.) All the furniture was a shiny black. The bed was made of black silk sheets.

But other than the large portrait of a cherry blossom tree under a blood red sunset, the room was incredibly impersonal. Kaname looked everywhere but he could not find a single clue on who could have lived there! The closet was empty, as well as all the drawers.

If someone had lived here, they had clearly already packed up their things before fleeing.

After double checking that he had not missed anything, and going through the large adjoining bathroom of the room and finding nothing but an expensive brand of shampoo and soap, and a platinum jaccuzzi and toilet, Kaname decided to move on to the next room.

The next room Kaname assumed to be Zero's room. It was completely plain and painted in shades of gray and mauve. The bed was a simple double with a plain ash grey comforter.

There were 2 small chests of drawers on either side of the bed, and a closet in the corner as well as a desk.

Other than that, once again the room was very impersonal. There wasn't a single picture frame of even an alarm clock set up!

Deciding that while he was there he might as well get some of Zero's clothes; Kaname was puzzled that when he opened the closet it was also bare.

"_Why wouldn't Zero keep his clothes in his closet? This is clearly his room isn't it?"_

Kaname didn't like where this was going, he didn't see any other room on his way up there, which means that perhaps Zero had already packed his clothes and was getting ready to run away?

Kaname wasn't sure but either way there was nothing else to see so he left the room and went into the bathroom.

The bathroom was a far cry from the luxurious one in the master bedroom. This one resembled the empty living room. The tiles were cracked and old, the curtain as molding, and there was a faint reddish staining on the inside of the tub that seemed like it wouldn't come off no matter the scrubbing.

Kaname bent down to get a closer look at the stain, and he couldn't help but feel queasy when he realized it could have been blood.

The stain was now too faded to tell for sure, but Kaname quickly looked away none the less.

Another peculiar thing was the mirror was completely cracked. As if someone had angrily ran a fist through it. Kaname had no doubt that Zero was the one who got it in that state. There was still some dried blood along the glass where it had obviously cut the persons knuckles.

"_But what made him punch it in the first place? And why did he never replace it?"_

Kaname sighed. He was getting nowhere! All he was doing was finding more questions than answers.

Kaname spotted an empty bottle of shampoo in the waste bin. Taking a small whiff of it, it smelt like lavender so Kaname knew it was Zero's. But after searching the cabinet and finding a single tooth brush, toothpaste and bar of soap, there was nothing else in the bathroom.

His suspicions grew as he exited the bathroom. No one's homes lacked that many belongings!

"_Did Zero plan on leaving after all?"_

Kaname shook his head as he moved down the corridor to the last door in the hall. It was locked.

Frowning, Kaname was highly suspicious! He had searched the entire house and not a single door was locked! What was so special about his room? What was it hiding?!

He tried kicking it down, but was momentarily stunned when the door didn't budge. Not even an inch!

"_Why is this door more re-enforced than the front door?"_ Kaname asked himself, remembering how he was able to kick it down easily to get to Zero.

He couldn't help but get slightly frustrated as he debated once again what could possibly be so special about the room.

Unfortunately, he didn't have much more time to crack it open or pick the lock since he received a text from Sieren stating that he didn't have much time before the police came.

Growling, Kaname decided to leave the mysterious room and continue searching the house…for now.

The only place left to look was the basement.

As he creeped down the stairs he noticed it got incredible darker, and there were no form of lights anywhere, not even a switch. He had no choice but to let his eyes adjust to the dark before looking around.

When he could finally make out the shapes of what he was seeing he gasped out loud.

There were chains, and long shackles attached from the wall, and it was clear whoever owned these were either incredibly kinky, or seriously deranged!

Looking to the side, he noticed a large in home bar, fully stocked. It seemed the tequila and vodka had recently been drunk from, but other than that there wasn't too much out of the ordinary.

Zero didn't seem like much of a drinker which just meant that it once again belonged to this other mysterious person!

Feeling slightly anxious at the thought of this psychotic AND now drunk maniac torturing Zero, Kaname quickly stepped away from the bar and looked around for any more incriminating evidence.

The room was spacious, but too dark to make out much. He did however notice a bunch of strange items such as long candles, lighters, darts, and a few black locked suitcases.

Kaname fiddled with the locks on the suitcases for a few seconds but was frustrated when he couldn't get it open. He debated stealing one to open himself on his own time, but decided to leave it as evidence for the police when they searched the place himself.

Besides, he had all the evidence he needed. He may still not know who it was, but it was clear the abuser was someone who Zero lived with.

Kaname was feeling angry once again as he thought of this monster being related to Zero!

Storming out of the house he slammed the broken door closed and slipped back into his car, nodding to Sieren who had been waiting for him in one of her own cars.

He took off back to the house with Sieren following close behind.

"I'm going to talk to Zero. This has been put off long enough. I'll give him the chance to explain things. And if he still doesn't want to tell me, well then I'll have no choice but to look into things myself." Kaname thought already coming up with contacts he could call for investigators.

He sighed to himself. He really just hoped Zero would finally be able to talk to him.

He was so focused on his thoughts; he barely realized he had already driven back home. Running a hand through his bangs, he tried to gather his thoughts together.

"_It wouldn't help if I'm just as frazzled as Zero! I need to be calm and collected right now. I want Zero to know he can trust me!"_

Taking a deep breath, Kaname let Sieren unlock the door and hold it open for him.

Kaname marched straight up to the room where he left Zero. He knocked twice softly on the door before answering, his voice automatically taking on a gentler tone.

"Zero? We really need to talk." He said softly.

It was only when he got no response did he realize Zero was nowhere to be found.

* * *

_**Thank you soo much to all of you have been patiently waiting for an update. I know not much has really happened here but not to worry, I am posting the next chapter RIGHT NOW! :D**_

_**Also, It's official, I have finally finished planning out the rest of the entire story! So now that it's all written out in point form, I've just got to actually type it out properly and hopefully updates will be coming much faster. :)**_

_**Speaking of, updates on when to expect latest chapters on ALL my stories is posted on my profile. :)**_

_**Okay, no without further adieu, I shall go post the next chapter now.**_

_**Xoxo!**_

_**:]**_


	14. PART 1 Chapter 14

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter fourteen- Where's Zero?**_

* * *

Kaname was frantic. He had searched the entire house and Zero was nowhere to be found! Immediately thinking the worst, Kaname started to wonder if it was possible Zero's abuser found out where he was staying and managed to sneak in!

_"Calm down Kaname, there's no way anyone could get in with your security. You're fine. Zero's fine."_

He told himself sternly.

So After giving a harsh warning to the body guards who were supposed to be assigned to Zero, he went back to his security cameras to check the footage. He finally caught one showing Zero leaving the house hours ago!

Furious for not noticing sooner, Kaname immediately left the house and tried to think of places Zero would go.

He doubted Zero would ever want to set foot back in that place again, but just to be sure Kaname drove back to Zero's house, only to find it as empty as when he left it. (Except for a few cop cars scuttling around). Not wanting to stick around and be questioned, Kaname left quickly.

He thought about going to Zero's job since he had mentioned not wanting to quit, but unfortunately Kaname had no idea where he worked!

He had eventually abandoned his car and was wandering down streets hoping to run into Zero and praying that he hadn't actually run away.

Kaname really didn't want to admit he had absolutely no idea where Zero was, and was debating to call in a favor with the secret service when he ran into the absolute last person he wanted to see.

"Kaname-chan! Is that really you?!" A seductive voice purred.

Kaname suppressed a sigh.

"Sara Shirabuki." He replied flatly.

"Oh come now, don't be like that. I haven't seen you in agesssss!"

"I'm afraid I'm in a terrible hurry right now, so if there isn't anything else…" He said trying to step around her.

"Actually there is! I can't help but wonder what happened when one of my most loyal customers suddenly falls off the grid…"

"Look Sara. That was a long time ago, and I was in a bad place that time. I'm over it now and I have no intention of going back to your little establishment." Kaname spat.

"Now now. Really, there's nothing to be ashamed of. You know I run a respectable business, and I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to indulge in pleasure."

"Respectable?" Kaname gave a cold laugh. "You're running a high end strip club. I hardly call that respectable."

"Humph. If I seem to recall, you used to enjoy yourself."

Kaname glared and stepped menacingly closer to her.

"I told you that was a long time ago. Now if you'll excuse me I have no intention of ever stepping foot in your 'establishment' again." He said coldly.

Sara gulped, realizing that she needed to change tactics if she wanted one of her high paying customers to return.

"Oh too bad! We got some new dancers you know; they're just your type!"

She quickly took a step back when Kaname gave her a chilling look.

"Alright alright, if you're not interested in that anymore, at least stop by for a drink! We also have a new bartender, he's quite the cutie. Come to think of it he might be more your type than any of the dancers." She said with a wink.

"Sara I really don't have time for this."

"Fine, but we're having a theme night next week; it's a masquerade so no one will know even if you do stop by. Let's face it; you really look like you need to relax a little." And with that she swiftly slipped a small invitation card into his pocket and sashayed away.

Kaname rolled her eyes once she was gone.

"_Honestly! What is she thinking?!"_

Kaname had no intention of ever going back to Sarah's little club. In fact it was one of the things he was most ashamed of.

Besides, he couldn't care less who her new bartender was, he needed to concentrate on finding Zero!

So snorting again at the very prospect of going for a drink, Kaname continued his search to look for Zero.

* * *

…

Zero flopped down onto the luxurious bed Queen sized bed and sunk wearily into the satin sheets, trying his best not to imagine what previous activities had taken place there.

He was currently resting in one of the spare bedrooms the club owned located upstairs. He didn't even want to think about why they had them, but he could come up with a few ideas on his own.

He slowly reflected back to his first night as a bartender...

His whole body was aching, and he was starting to think it may have been a bad idea to push himself through work so soon, when his injuries weren't healed yet.

But on the other hand, he had gotten a whole night of distractions, which was more than what he could've asked for.

Feeling slightly satisfied, he realized his new job wasn't so bad…if he didn't count what sleaze balls showed up there.

It had made him incredibly uncomfortable to see some of the so-called "important business men" in the world show up to a place like that to 'enjoy the show' "

Zero had seen them come in all ages, from clearly underage (who he guessed were the sons of important people) to perverted old geezers who so clearly wanted to molest the dancers!

Zero himself had to fight to keep the repulsion off his face. Especially when he noticed a few men looking at the dancers the same way Ichiru used to look at him.

Shaking his head, Zero had managed to keep his eyes off his surroundings and just focus on making drinks. Sara had disappeared for a while, but when she returned she told him he was a natural and asked where on earth he had gotten so much experience from.

Zero couldn't exactly tell her that the reason why his bartending skills were so perfect was that if he messed up on a drink he got whipped.

Sighing, he supposed it was a long day, but he was happy that he made more money than he expected! That and Zero doubted Ichiru would ever think of looking for him there.

His shift had long since been over, but Sara insisted he stayed till the bar closed up, so Zero had been stuck staying a few extra hours. He was beyond exhausted and was about to make his way back to Kaname's house when it occurred to him that he had no idea how to get back! He considered asking directions, since he was sure one of the patrons would know where the Kuran Mansion was, but then he realized that if he asked, word could get back to Ichiru! (After all, he didn't doubt that Ichiru could manipulate anyone, and probably had many friends in higher places.) You could never be too safe, and the last thing he wanted to do was put Kaname in danger; not after everything he did for him!

Zero was standing in the doorway idly wondering how he was going to figure out how to get back if he refused to tell anyone where he was trying to go. It was then that Sara had come up to him and asked if he needed a place to stay for the night.

Zero hesitated, and didn't particularly want to stay any longer than necessary. Something about Sara made him feel uneasy. But he was feeling slightly light headed from being on his feet all day with his injuries, and didn't particularly want to walk the couple hours back to Kaname's in the dark.

He was used to the dizzy feeling from always hiding his blood loss and going to school, but still the prospect of rest seemed too tempting to Zero so he finally agreed.

He did feel guilty for not telling Kaname where he was, especially after he had been so great to him, but Zero kept telling himself it was for Kaname's own good. The less involved he got with Zero, the safer he would be.

"How's my favourite bartender doing?" Sara asked sweetly as she stuck her head in the doorway and shocked Zero out of his thoughts.

"Fine." Mumbled Zero already feeling the tug of sleep taking hold of him.

"Good. Just rest for now, I'll take good care of you." Whispered Sara as she started to stroke his hair.

Zero was asleep in seconds so he missed the manipulative smile playing on her face.

* * *

_**You wanted scandalous, I'll give you scandalous! ;) LOL! Zero's job will bring many scandalousness situations. And don't worry, Kaname's involvement with Sarah's club, along with his past will be revealed very soon. Perhaps in the next couple chapters or so :]**_

_**So I know this chappie is a little short, but that's because it's a double update today! :D This was originally supposed to be connected with chapter 13, but I figured it kind of fit better as separate chapter.**_

_**Anyway! As always, I would like to thank all those who viewed, followed, and favourited! LOVE YA! Especially those who reviewed, you guys are the best! :D**_

_**Xoxo!**_


	15. PART 1 Chapter 15

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter fifteen- Secrets Revealed**_

* * *

"I'm worried. Kaname-sempai hasn't been acting like himself since the day we found Zero."

"Something obviously happened."

"Well of course something happened! It's been a week and His Zero is still in the hospital!"

"WHAT?! Since when did Kiryu become 'his'?!"

"Seriously Aido? Get a clue! Didn't you see the way Kaname-sempai was looking at him?"

"LIES! It's all Lies!"

"Aido calm down. Beside that's not the issue here, something else is clearly wrong."

"Maybe he's conflicted about his newfound feelings for Kiryu-kun."

"Again with the feelings?! Kaname-sempai would never like someone like him! I won't allow it!"

"What did I say about calming down? And besides, I really don't think it's up to you to decide."

"Guys focus! I really think whatever's troubling him is something serious."

"Yeah. I noticed it too."

"He's always tense, and I sense something of great urgency on his mind."

"Holy shit! Shiki spoke! Kay, this must be serious after all.

"Yes. Things are becoming complicated."

"Damn, now Rima's talking! Okay we clearly have to deal with this before it becomes a situation."

"Yes! Kaname-sempai is our beloved leader and if he's hurting, we're hurting."

"Someone has to talk to him. I hate seeing him like this!"

"Yes, someone should definitely talk to him."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Well?! Who's going to be the one to talk to him?"

"…"

"Guys come on!"

"Well why don't you do it then?!"

"Uhhhh…."

"Exactly. We ALL know Kaname isn't exactly in the most pleasant of moods, and he'll probably snap whoever's head off that tries to talk to him!"

"Aido you should talk to him! You've been slapped by him a few times already so it's no big deal if you get smacked again right?"

"HEYYY! Those slaps hurt okay! But…if it's for Kaname-sempai then I'll gladly accept a hit if it lessens his pain."

"Wow look at you being serious for once."

"Shut up! I AM serious. I'd do ANYTHING for Kaname-sempai. ANYTHING."

"We all would Aido."

"Yes, but to be honest, I don't think Kaname-sempai would appreciate you butting in to his business. I don't think it should be Aido. Besides, Aido you're too docile, if Kaname-sempai says he doesn't want to talk about it, you'll immediately back off, and that won't help us right now."

"But-"

"No it's true. Aido you respect Kaname-sempai too much, there's no way you'd cross any boundaries to make him talk to us."

"We all do."

"So then who will talk to him?"

"Ruka should do it! He won't snap on her."

"But I don't really see him confiding in her either."

"Excuse me?! Me and Kaname-sempai talk all the time!"

"Yes yes. I'm sure you do. But like I said before, it's the same thing with Aido; you won't be willing to push Kaname to talk."

"We're getting nowhere! Someone has to talk to him! Even if he doesn't open up and tell us anything...he should at least know we're here for him..."

"…And behind him 100%..."

"…No matter what!"

"Very well. It can't be helped, I'll talk to him. Actually I was planning on speaking to him on the matter anyway. I don't like seeing my oldest friend so troubled."

* * *

Kaname was frustrated.

It had been one week, one FULL week, since Zero disappeared. He had looked everywhere but no one knew anything! Kaname hadn't been able to think of anything else, as hundreds of images rolled through his head on where Zero could be.

_"Did he run away? Was staying with me that bad? What if he was kidnapped?!"_ It got to the point where Kaname couldn't focus on anything else, and the DC definitely noticed.

A gentle touch on his arm took him out of his thoughts as he turned to look at emerald green eyes.

"Kaname-sempai, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Kaname held back a sigh as he followed Takuma into the empty DC room.

"Yes what is it Takuma?" He asked distractedly, anxious to get back to his Zero musings.

Takuma shifted hesitantly from side to side as if to wonder how to properly phrase whatever it is he wanted to say.

"Kaname-sempai, is something wrong? You've seemed…distracted these past few days." Takuma said gently.

"I'm fine Takuma." Kaname replied briskly.

Takuma held back a sigh. He figured he would get a reply like that.

"Kaname-sempai. " Takuma shook his head in expiration, and then hesitated on how to continue. Finally after a long pause he decided to just come out and say what he was thinking.

"Is this about Kiryu-kun?"

Kaname immediately tensed up.

"Kaname-sempai, it's perfectly normal for you to be worried about him, after all you were the one to find him. But he's going to be fine. Hey, how about we all go visit him in the hospital afterschool today ne?"

Kaname clenched his fists before saying slowly "Zero's not in the hospital anymore, He's staying with me."

(Of course, Kaname neglected to mention that Zero wasn't currently at his house at the moment, that he was missing, and his whereabouts were unknown. but he figured he would keep Takuma strictly on a 'need-to-know' basis.)

Takuma blinked for a second not quite believing what he heard to be true. Kaname wasn't the type of person to invite a stranger into his home, especially after the Yuuki incident.

It was clear he had underestimated just how much Zero meant to him. He smiled a soft smile to himself, it was obvious how strongly Kaname cared for Zero, and he wondered if Kaname realized his own feelings yet

"Kaname-sempai…" Takuma said slowly, wanting to phrase it just right. "Tell me, what kind of feelings do you have for Zero?"

"I want to protect him." Kaname replied instantly.

"But not in the same way as you wanted to protect Yuuki right?" Takuma asked gently, not wanting to upset Kaname with memories from the past.

"I-I don't know."

Takuma was even more surprised by that answer! Kaname had always been sure of himself! But he encouraged Kaname to go on none the less.

"I don't want anything to ever hurt him again. And I want to see him smile and laugh; I want him to be happy. But I also want to understand him, and I want him to trust me, and open up to me!"

Takuma listened thoughtfully before saying

"I think it may be a little more than that. He's always on your mind is he not?"

Kaname nodded tensely.

"Well then, perhaps you are falling for him?"

Kaname froze and Takuma watched the range of emotions flicker across his face: Shock, anger, denial, more shock, thoughtfulness, and then an expression he couldn't quite name. For a second Takuma feared he went too far. He expected a glare to come his way and was ready to fruitfully apologize for not minding his own business when Kaname whispered so softly Takuma wasn't even sure if he heard him right.

"Perhaps."

Takuma felt his mouth drop, shocked, and touched that Kaname had shared this with him. However, he also knew that Kaname was done talking about the subject and pushing him to talk about his feelings would only get him snapped at, so he swiftly changed the subject back to the issue at hand.

"Well then I'm guessing this isn't the only thing that has been bothering you. You've been so distracted lately you've barely paid attention to anything around you, let alone your classes. If you're this unfocused, I don't see why you even come to class."

Kaname let a loud sigh before replying softly "You're right Takuma."

Takumas' eyebrows shot up and before he could ask "Really?!" Kaname continued.

"I should absolutely not be coming to school at a time like this." He turned to walk off quickly; leaving Takuma to stammer after him.

"B-but Kaname! I didn't mean literally!"

Kaname paid no attention to him and was already on his way out the door. He just barely caught Takuma calling after him softly. "You know if there's anything at all you want to talk about, I'm always here to listen…I'm sure the rest of the DC is too."

His back was turned so Takuma didn't see the grateful smile on Kaname's face towards his words.

* * *

Kaname left the school and eagerly made his way home.

He was still trying to wrap his head around his confession to Takuma, but the more he thought of it, the more he thought it to be true.

_"Maybe I am falling for Zero…"_

Shaking his head, he decided he would figure out his feelings later. He had more important things to worry about! The day after he searched for Zero and came up empty handed, he had hired a private investigator to find out everything there was to know about Zero Kiryu. He had made sure to hire one that wasn't going to object to breaking the law, so that he would use any and all means necessary to gather information. He had told Kaname he would need a few days, and today was the day he was finally going to report his findings!

And with his newfound revelation of feelings for Zero, he was just that more determined to find him!

He entered his home quickly and immediately went pour himself a glass of wine to calm his nerves.

He anxiously paced back and forth as he waited for the man he hired to arrive.

In a few minutes (which actually felt like hours) there was a knock at the door.

Kaname had to control himself for not jumping up and running to answer it like he wanted to, and instead forced himself to take a seat in the large armchair and wait for the doorman to do his job.

That's not to say that he could stop himself for clenching the glass so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Finally, what felt like an eternity later, Sieren led a man in a long trench coat and sunglasses into the sitting area.

"Well?" Kaname asked in a calm voice, his expression neutral. Although he felt everything but.

"It's all here." The man replied gruffly sliding a thick envelope towards him.

Kaname wanted nothing more to tear open the envelope hungrily, but managed to hold off till his guest left.

"So who is it he's staying with?"

"It took a lot more digging than I thought, but it turns out he had forged documents sent to child services and the school saying he was staying with a distant uncle who was never home because of work…The forgery was quite good, one of the best I've seen in my line of work."

"Get on with it!" Kaname finally snapped.

"Well it turns out the only person he's living with is his twin brother Ichiru Kiryu."

Kaname froze as the meaning of the words slowly sunk in.

His mouth felt dry as he finally whispered "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Kaname felt his insides growing cold at the very thought that Zero's abuser was his own brother! His twin no doubt! He had known there were sick and twisted people in the world, but nothing could have prepared him for hearing _that_!

"Before you ask, I figured you'd want everything you could find on Ichiru. But the guys invisible! I don't know who he hired to cover his tracks, but there was literally nothing on him anywhere! It's like the guy never existed. I'm guessing the neighbors were paid off because when I was able to hack their bank accounts, a large sum of money had been transferred into their accounts the day Zero was admitted to the hospital and they left for a 3 month vacation. All their numbers have been changed as well so unless you're getting on a plane there's no way to contact them. "

Kaname's eyes narrowed and he could barely control the trembling of his shoulders in anger.

"So you found nothing? No hospital records, no drivers license, nothing?!"

The man shook his head. "Like I said the guy's invisible. If I didn't know better I would say he was dead, but my sources tell me that Zero Kiryu definitely lived with him. I did however manage to find one picture. Granted it's old, and I doubt it would be much help but right now it's the only thing that proves his existence."

He slid a second envelop to Kaname who instantly ripped it open and pulled out an old Polaroid of two young boys who looked to be around 5. They were both identical, right down to the matching outfits. Both wearing sky blue thick knitted sweaters, matching blue earmuffs, and white pants. The picture was obviously taken in the winter since there was snow in the background and the boys were standing in front of a frozen lake. They're hands were intertwined and they were both smiling so brightly and innocently it was impossible to tell who was who. Zero (whichever boy he was) didn't have his tattoo yet or his ear piercings in.

Kaname was stunned at the picture. Not just because of the sheer similarity between the two boys, but because he had never seen such an innocent joyful expression on Zero's face in all the days he'd known him!

The more he looked at it, the more he felt sick. One of those two laughing, smiling boys was a sick twisted psycho, and the other was an abused, fallen angel.

It bothered him more than it should that he couldn't tell them apart.

His throat was tight when he asked quietly.

"Where did you get this?"

"Stole it off some guy named Kaien Cross."

Kaname hid his surprise at the familiar name. He knew the Headmaster was close with Zero's parents, but he didn't know they we were close enough for him to keep pictures.

"Already questioned him. He's as clueless to Ichiru's whereabouts as everyone else. And as for Zero's whereabouts, well for some reason anyone I asked who knew he was no longer at the hospital assumed he was staying with you."

Kaname glared at the man not liking what he was insinuating! It's not like Zero was some lost dog who he could chain up to keep him here!

Kaname forced his expression and voice to stay neutral as he nodded to the man.

"Very well you can go. Sieren will pay you on the way out."

The man nodded swiftly and stalked out of the room. Siren gave a low bow to Kaname before following him out.

This left Kaname to his thoughts and he was not happy.

If what the man said was true, then Zero's abuser was his own twin brother whose whereabouts were completely unknown. He didn't like the idea that there was a psychopath running around looking exactly like Zero. If there were no records of him even existing, he could easily do anything and blame it on Zero!

Kaname pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He didn't like this one bit! If what he thought was correct, Ichiru had most likely kidnapped Zero and could be torturing him as he spoke! He couldn't afford to waste any more time! Zero needed him! He needed to find where Ichiru could have taken him…NOW! The only reason he wasn't completely freaking out in a hot rage, was because he finally knew who it was that was hurting Zero. And when he found him, he was going to enjoy putting him through the same pain Zero endured.

Smiling a sadistic smile, Kaname knew one person who would know Ichiru's whereabouts.

He sighed, really not wanting to, but knowing it was his best option.

There was one person who knew all the gossip, and that person was none other than Sara Shirabuki.

Kaname groaned as he looked at the invitation she had given him days ago, that was now lying innocently on his coffee table.

It looks like he would be going to the masquerade after all.

* * *

_**I'm backkk! I'm so so sorry for being gone for so long, :'( but I had final exams to worry about, and then I had to catch a last minute flight since i'm visiting fam for the holidays. :/**_

_**Anyyywayyy. Sorry to keep you waiting for so long, but I will be updating all my stories, and to make up for the wait, I'll hopefully post a few new stories too! :D**_

_**But yess, Kaname FINALLY finds out it was Ichiru all along! :O**_

_**Next chappie we'll see what's going on Zero's side, and also the masquerade of course! ;)**_

_**Alsoo, just a few things that have been brought to my attention by my brilliantly clever viewers:**_

_**1: About Zero and Ichiru not being sent to an orphanage. It'll most likely be explained in detail later on what exactly happened, but all you need to know for now is that Ichiru is extremely clever and fooled all authorities into thinking they had someone to take care of them.**_

_**2: About the words carved into Zero. To be honest I totally forgot about that! And yes, when the doctor checked him out he should have seen them and written them in the report BUT we're just going to say that there were bandages covering the name written on his arm, and the words on his back because I really want Zero to be the one to tell Kaname about it. I don't want him finding out about that any other way before then.**_

_**Alright now that that's cleared up, I just want to thank everyone who viewed, followed, and favourited! You guys are awesome!**_

_**An especially huuuge thank you to all those who reviewed! Thank you so so much! Reading all your comments truly made my day! :)**_

_**Speaking of, the EXTRAS PAGE has been updated with a special HOLIDAY ONE SHOT so enjoy!**_

_**Until next time! ;)**_

_**Xoxo**_

_**And ps: happy holidays! :D**_


	16. PART 1 Chapter 16

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter sixteen- The Masquerade**_

* * *

Zero had kept himself busy working at the bar, and before he knew it a full week had passed already.

He meant to find his way back to Kaname, or at least call him, but the longer he spent time at the bar the more he convinced himself it would be better for everyone if he just disappeared. After all, wouldn't it be safer for Kaname if Ichiru never found out he was associated with him?

And Sara seemed to get happier every night he stayed. If he didn't know better, he would think that she was really reluctant for him to leave…but that didn't make sense to him so he played it off as being paranoid.

Either way, Zero threw himself into his work, working to the point of exhaustion so that he practically passed out every night in a dreamless slumber.

Sara; liking his enthusiasm had somehow upped his customers. He wasn't sure what she had told him but they clearly had some lewd ideas since they all stared at him with lusty eyes and made passes to get him to "visit them upstairs".

Of course Zero would never consist to their offers, but it made him feel sick to his stomach to even have to listen to any of those offers! He hated every person who came here!

"_They're all disgusting perverted pigs!"_

He paused his mental rant to himself when Sara sashayed up to him.

"Hey baby! How are you holding up?" she purred.

Zero frowned in response.

"Do NOT call me that." He growled.

"Tsk. Tsk. So grouchy! Well listen up, tonight is one of the most important events of this establishment! It's the annual masquerade, and it's the busiest night of the year! Because it's mandatory to wear a mask, and everyone's face is covered, people somehow feel that they can go crazy and live out their sinful desires without having to worry about what anyone thinks of them. As members of this establishment, it's our job to make sure that this can happen, and that our customers get all their wildest dreams to come true without any judgment on our part. Got it?" Asked Sara strictly.

Zero just rolled his eyes and nodded, he already knew that basically the club will be filled with even more twisted and sadistic customers than usual. Needless to say he was NOT looking forward to tonight at all.

"_Come to think of it, Ichiru would fit in quite nicely with this crowd."_ Zero thought bitterly.

But his little joke to himself quickly started getting himself nervous.

"_What if he actually does show up here? What if he finds me?"_

Feeling more and more sick, Zero tried to quickly back out of his participation for the night.

"Uhm Sara…I don't suppose I could have the night off tonight…After all I have been working full time from opening till closing every night for the whole week and-"

"Don't even think about it! It's mandatory for every staff member to work tonight. Did you not hear me when I said it's the busiest night of the year?! If you want to continue working here I better see you dressed up and dolled in a mask ready behind that bar before the night even starts! Got it?" She snapped.

Zero numbly nodded his head dreading it with every fiber of his being while Sara merely seemed to get more excited in anticipation.

"Oh goody! Then go find Maria, she has your costume and mask all ready for you!"

Zero suppressed a groan as he dejectedly made his way to Maria's room.

He wasn't sure if it was a good idea staying here for much longer, if not because of the perverts, then because he was running extremely low on pills.

He always had a few stashed away in his pockets, but he'd been here for a week now and he was officially out. As long as he didn't get his heart rate up too much, he hopefully wouldn't be getting any attacks anytime soon, but he wasn't sure how calm he'd be able to be around all of the slightly psychotic "customers" coming tonight.

Shuddering at the very thought, Zero loathed to admit there may have been another reason he was thinking about leaving.

He kind of…missed Kaname.

He wasn't sure why since it's not like they were very close to begin with, and perhaps the only think he really missed was someone actually caring about what happened to him.

"_Wait! What am I saying? Kaname never really cared about me, I'm sure it was just pity. And now that I've been gone for a week I'm sure he's forgotten all about me."_

* * *

…

A few hours later and Zero had never seen the club so busy.

The music was thumping loudly and the base vibrated in his ears as Zero spun around taking order after order that were being yelled out to him. He swiftly and quickly mixed the drinks and barely had time to think as the oncoming of drink orders kept pouring in.

Zero felt himself sweating lightly and wished he wasn't wearing a mask so he could wipe his face

The mask itself was a plain white that just covered his eyes. Although it looked plain compared to some of the other dramatically decorated ones, up close, one would see it was beautiful and sleekly polished so that it seemed to sparkle in the dark lighting. Even Zero had to admit it brought out his lilac eyes rather nicely, but he still didn't get what the big deal was. Especially to entice identical reactions of shock from Maria and Sara when he had first put it on.

He remembered how they had both gone shock still, and how Sara had walked up to him and gently swept the hair out of his face. Zero resisted the urge to swat her hands away simply because he knew that at that moment, she wasn't really seeing Zero, she was looking at him as if he was someone else, someone from a long forgotten past.

"I don't suppose you know of a Shizuka?" Sara whispered softly.

Zero shook his head confused, and Sara let out a sigh as her eyes dropped to the ground.

"I figured. It must've just been a coincidence."

Sara seemed to get a hold of herself quicker than Maria (who still stood looking speechless)

Because she quickly laughed off her previous actions and smiled.

"Zero-chan! Who knew you cleaned up so good? Haha! I'm sure the customers will be having trouble keeping their hands off you!" With a loud laugh she ran her hands down the exquisite white suite Zero was wearing complemented with a lilac tie that matched his eyes.

Which brought Zero to where he was now, which was behind an extremely crowded bar, trying to simply focus on the drinks and ignore the goings on around him.

To say the club was quite a sight would be an understatement.

Zero was just glad he didn't have to dress like any of the waiters who were wearing costumes that consisted of various strips of leather, buckles and chains.

(Technically, the bartender was supposed to dress the same, but Zero got away with it by having to hide his bandages, bruises, and scars. Even Sara had to admit defeat; that there wouldn't be enough make up to cover it all, and that it would be easier if he just worse something with long sleeves.)

The strippers were not faring any better wearing insane masks and complicated costumes that barely covered anything.

The caged dancers were dressed much the same.

And although all the customers that were coming in had a mask securely in place to hide their faces, and dressed much more professionally than the staff; wearing expensive brand names made of luxurious fabrics, Zero was disgusted by every single one of them.

He could practically see the lust and greed oozing out of the patrons.

It reminded him of Ichiru…and Zero hated it.

He had lost count on how many customers had hit on him or let their hands linger too long on his arm when asking for a drink, and Zero was trying his best to keep his pulse down. The last thing he needed was to get an attack and become defenseless and helpless with all these horny guests.

Although it did give him a bitter smile every time a customer gave him an appreciative look.

"_This mask and makeup may cover my face, but the scars on my body and mind still remain… I wonder what they'd really think of me when they see how disgusting and tainted I really am?"_

Sighing to himself, Zero wondered if Kaname would really mind if he decided to go back… But then he remembered the danger he would be putting Kaname in if he did.

"_What am I thinking?! I'd be leading Ichiru right to him! I can't act selfishly right now. But I do need my pills…even if I'm not going to stay there anymore, I have to find a way to go back and get them…"_

Zero still wasn't sure what his plans were, but he did decide that this would be his last night spent sleeping at the club.

* * *

…

After several hours, Zero was exhausted, he decided to try and find Sara to see if he could take a quick break when he saw her talking to someone in a blood red mask.

Even with the mask on, Zero could tell the person was handsome. His dark hair running slightly over his face, his posture was straight and formal, and Zero could tell this person was from a wealthy family

Zero resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Sara was obviously trying to talk this patron into spending some money on his "sinful desires" whatever that was, but upon closer inspection, it looked like they were in a very serious conversation.

The music was too loud to overhear the conversation but from what Zero could tell from their body language, the young man was quickly getting frustrated, and Sara was looking serious for once. Shaking her head.

Zero couldn't help but wonder what the guy was asking for since there was very little Sara was unwilling to do. Of course that only made Zero's stomachs churn in disgust, whatever it was the man wanted was probably even more disturbing than the normal things.

Suddenly the mysterious person turned and spotted Zero from across the crowd.

The young man seemed surprised than shocked, and as their eyes locked, Zero suddenly realized why…

It was Kaname.

"K-KANAME?!" Zero spluttered

"Zero?!" Kaname asked in an equally shocked voice. He moved to step forward but Zero quickly stepped back.

"NO!" Yelled Zero in shock. He couldn't believe Kaname would come to places like this!

"_How could he? How could he be like all the other guys in this place! I thought he-"_

Cutting his thoughts off right there Zero turned around and ran out of the club.

"Wait! Zero! ZERO!"

Zero ignored Kaname's calls after him and continued running.

He just couldn't believe that Kaname goes to places like that! He thought Kaname was nice…maybe even a gentleman…

And he looked like he really knew Sara too, so obviously it wasn't his first time being here!

Zero felt his heart racing and his shoulders shook as sobs overcame him

"_But what was I expecting? That a nice guy actually existed? That didn't want to hurt me? That cared about me? Ha! As if! I knew it was too good to be true. "_

Zero tried to calm himself and tell him that he really couldn't care less what Kaname did in his spare time, how it had nothing to do with him, and how he absolutely couldn't be bothered.

…except that he did.

Zero didn't want to admit it but he had started to think Kaname was like his knight in shining armor…

"_But to think he was in to stuff like that!"_

Zero felt his heart racing as he continued to run. He just wanted to put as much distance as possible between himself and that club.

He soon realized his mistake in running out of there when he felt the familiar tightness in chest as a warning of an attack.

Zero was so distracted he hadn't even thought about keeping his heart rate down!

He was so confused by his own slate of thoughts, that he didn't notice the footsteps trailing behind him until a pair of strong arms wrapped around him.

"Breathe Zero! Breathe!"

Said a voice frantically.

Zero tried, but it felt like he wasn't getting enough air in no matter how many gasps he took, and his chest was starting to get that excruciating burning feeling, as if someone had set it on fire!

Everything was starting to get fuzzy but he heard a muffled curse in the background and then someone's gentle fingers were on his jaw trying to get him to swallow something.

Zero recognized it as one of his pills, and he knew he really had to swallow it, but he just couldn't find the strength to open his mouth any wider, as everything suddenly went black around him.

The last thing he remembered on the edge of his consciousness was gentle lips on his own, and a soft tongue urging him to part his lips as a something solid past through those lips into his own.

* * *

_**So I have finally updated! I'm so sorry for being gone for so long! :( I can explain how school got really crazy, and how life got in the way of writing, but still it's really no excuse. :(**_

_**So I hope I can make it up to you by a bunch of updates this week, AND some brand new stories I've decided to finally post! :) hope you all enjoy! :D**_

_**Till next time!**_

_**Xoxo!**_


	17. PART 1 Chapter 17

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter seventeen- The Past Comes to Light  
**_

* * *

Zero groggily opened his eyes. He felt comfortable and found himself in a warm bed. It took him a moment to realize he had been in this bed before.

He was back in the Kuran Mansion.

He heard the creaking of the door open and turned to see none other than Kaname walking in.

"Zero! You're awake!"

He seemed to be genuinely relieved that Zero was oaky, and for a moment Zero felt a warm feeling inside that Kaname still cared.

…that was until the past events came rushing back to him and he remembered why he was suppose to be so angry at Kaname.

Noticing the change of expression on Zero's face, Kaname anxiously leaned forward and placed a hand on Zero's forehead.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"

Ignoring the slightly guilty feeling of acting this way when Kaname obviously saved his life, Zero stubbornly turned his face so that he was facing away from him.

"I don't want to talk to you right now." He replied stiffly.

Kaname just sighed, lowered himself to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Look Zero…I think we need to clear some things up." Kaname stated softly.

"There's nothing to clear up. What you do in your personal time is your business; it has nothing to do with me." Zero stated coldly.

"Zero! I was only there in the first place because I was trying to get information from Sara on your whereabouts! And what were you doing there anyway?! Do you know how worried I was? I thought you were with Ichiru!" Kaname snapped

"WHAT?!" Zero choked.

Kaname sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Look this wasn't supposed to go this way. But since it's already been said, let's just get this out in the open. I know about Ichiru. I know he's been the one abusing you. So don't even try to deny it!" Kaname said when he saw Zero open his mouth to most likely defend his twin.

There was a tense silence between them, neither one of them willing to break it. And just when Kaname was going to try to coax it out of Zero in a gentler approach, Zero turned to look at Kaname and promptly exploded.

"AND WHY THE HELL DO YOU KNOW THIS?! HUH? IT IS NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUISNESS! HOW DARE YOU GO AND STICK YOUR NOSE IN THIS! IF I WANTED YOU TO KNOW I WOULD HAVE FUCKING TOLD YOU! BUT NO, YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING DON'T YOU?! YOU'RE NOT SATISFIED TILL YOU KNOW EVERY BLOODY DETAIL OF MY LIFE! WELL THAT'S FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC ISN'T IT?! NOW YOU KNOW ALL OF THE SKELETONS IN MY CLOSET AND I STILL DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT YOU! WELL YOU KNOW WHAT? FUCK YOU KURAN! FUCK YOU AND YOUR FUCKING PITY!"

Zero was breathing heavily after his rant, while Kaname was momentarily stunned into silence.

Finally Kaname spoke in a very soft, almost shy voice.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but I assure you that wasn't my intention."

"Oh? Then do tell me, what was your intention Kuran?" Zero spat venomously.

"My intention was making sure you were still alive! That you were safe! Look Zero I-that is to say…when you left you have no idea how worried I was! You were suppose to be under my care, I promised Id keep you safe and then you were gone and…And I just kept picturing you when I found you that day at your house…unconscious and bleeding all over the floor, and oh god! I just couldn't live with myself if something like that were to happen again. And I knew someone had obviously done that to you, and all I could think was what if that same person found you? What if they were…were….torturing you." Kaname clenched his eyes shut and could barely get the words out. His voice was no higher than a whisper. "I know it was wrong to go into your business, but I just had to find you! I had to make sure you were okay…" He trailed off and let the rest of the sentence hang in the air.

The silence was deafening.

Suddenly feeling a little embarrassed, Kaname decided he wouldn't be getting any further with Zero so he slowly arose to leave.

He was about to reach the door when Zero's soft voice stopped him.

"I'm not your responsibility Kaname."

Kaname took Zero's response as an invitation to stay so he slowly crossed the room till he was back beside Zero's bed.

"I know but-"

"But what? Why do you care so much Kaname? Is it pity?"

"You asked me that same question that day in the hospital."

"And you didn't give me a straight answer then either." Zero shot back.

"It's not pity. It's…I can't explain it.

"Well if you don't explain anything then how do you expect me to understand? I don't even know anything about you! I mean admit it…up until the past few weeks we barely even knew each other! You keep asking me to trust you but how can I?"

Kaname took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He knew Zero had a point, and he knew what he would have to do in order to convince him…he just wasn't looking forward to it.

"You're right; you don't know anything about my past, so I think it's only fair that I told you some of my secrets too."

Eyebrows rising in interest, Zero turned to finally face Kaname.

"When I was younger…I was supposed to die. You see my parents were…important people. And they were always worried my life was in danger, and that I would be targeted in a way to get to them. That was proven true since most of my childhood was spent with numerous kidnapping attempts, and when my younger sister Yuuki was born it just got worst. Kidnapping attempts became assassination attempts, and my parents got more and more worried. It got to the point where they didn't want us to leave the house. We were always on lockdown, and were confined to this mansion. My parents had body guards who followed us everywhere we went and we had the utmost top security. Our uncle was a cop, so it was easy to do. But what we didn't know then was that was the problem. We didn't realize how angry he was that my father had named me the successor instead or his own brother. Then one night when my parents were out, my uncle had promised to watch us and he…It was suppose to be me! I was the heir to the family fortune, I was the heir to all their businesses, I was the target not her! It was never supposed to be her but…There was a mix up. If only I had followed my parent's orders and not left the house... but I didn't think… Didn't think that she would die in my place. The worst part was I couldn't even do anything! By the time I got home, it was too late. My beautiful, beloved, little sister ended up dying in my arms."

_*flashback*_

_Kaname held Yuuki in his slender arms, watching as the light slowly faded out of her once chocolate brown eyes._

"_Yuuki! YUUKI! Stay with me! Please stay with me!"_

"_Onisama…it's too late…I'm glad it was me…now you can….live…."_

"_YUUKIIIIIII!"_

_*end flashback*_

"My little sister…she was a ray of sunshine. Always cheerful, always smiling. She was so innocent…so pure. She looked up to me like I was her hero in life. I loved her so much, and then she…She was just gone. When my parents came home we tried going to the police, but my uncle had control over all of them. He was the head chief in the force, and he could easily get away with murder. It wouldn't have been the first time… That's why I don't trust cops. Or the police. And even though he doesn't work there anymore, I can never be too sure that he doesn't still have people working for him in the force. Anyway, it was after that time that I realized the only person you can trust is yourself."

Kaname paused in his story to take a deep breath. And compose himself before continuing.

He inwardly smiled noticing Zero had placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"My parents and I became a little estranged after that… They blamed themselves for not being able to protect us better, and for not realizing what our uncle was planning sooner. They harbored a lot of guilt, and in turn they couldn't bear to look at me. They coped with the loss of Yuuki in their own way…it was just easier if they pretended they didn't have any children at all. While they dealt with things their way, I dealt with it mine. I'm not going to lie, I was…in a bad place. After the incident, I too felt responsible for her death. And it was around that time that I met Sara. I was visiting Yuuki's grave and I guess she had been paying her own respects when she noticed me. I'm sure she could tell from my attire that I well off. And to her I was probably just a chance at another customer for her business. Either way, she convinced me to come with her. My young age, wasn't really a problem since I had a fake id. I'm pretty sure she knew it was fake too, but most people who worked there weren't of proper age either. Anyway I'm not proud of going there but… I just wanted…no,_ needed_ a distraction. A way to forget everything, and just live in that moment, where the past and future didn't exist. And she gave me that. It was a place where no one could find me. Where I wouldn't have to see the haunted faces of my parents who refused to look me in the eye, or to see the rooms in that same god forsaken house where my little sister's blood had stained the floor. No, at Sara's I was just another client. No one knew me there. I was just another face. So I went there practically every night."

Kaname paused to gauge Zero's reaction, but seeing no outward sign of disgust, he continued.

"At first, it was just for the alcohol. Those years of my life were mostly a blur. I spent most of the time drinking myself into oblivion, and the rest of the time passed out. I never cared what I was doing to myself, I just wanted the pain to stop, and for everything not to hurt as much. After a while, I realized I didn't need the drinks to feel numb anymore, my heart was already frozen. I felt empty, like a part of me had died the day that Yuuki died. And I wanted so desperately to replace the loneliness. Even if it was all a lie. Just for a few hours, if they could offer me some sort of distraction and trick my heart into thinking it was complete, then it was enough for me. So I started going there for another reason. And I guess you could say that Sara ended up knowing me pretty well. It wasn't until much later that I realized that I couldn't hide from my problems or my past forever."

Kaname sighed and he closed his eyes, as he recalled the memory.

"I remember it perfectly…It was the day of sister's birthday, and instead of visiting her grave like I should have been doing, I was at that stupid club with my tongue rammed down some stranger's throat! It was then that I realized she gave up her life for me…and for what? So that I could waste it at some illicit club?! No, I refused to let her sacrifice go in vain! So I cleaned up my act and swore I would never go down that path again. I promised myself I would never step foot in her establishment again and we parted ways. I swear to you I haven't been to that place or seen Sara since. It was only several days ago that I had run into her when I was looking for you and when you still didn't turn up I thought she might know where you would be."

Kaname finally exhaled a long deep breath and stared deep into Zero's eyes

"And that's the truth."

Of course, he was leaving a few parts out, but Kaname figured they weren't really necessary at the moment.

"I know it's not much, and I understand if you're disgusted with the way I acted…but now that I've opened up to you about my past…will you please trust me with yours?"

Kaname silently held his breath as he waited for Zero's response.

He expected Zero to say a lot of things, but if he had to be honest, the last thing he was expecting was for Zero to climb out of the bed, grab his hand, and lead him to the door.

Zero's face was solemn with a steel of determination.

"Let's go." He said seriously.

"Where?" Kaname questioned softly, tilting his head in confusion

"_Is Zero still going to ask to leave?"_ he thought worriedly.

But all traces of hesitation were gone when he heard Zero utter the next few words.

"Back to my house. I'll show you the truth."

* * *

As Zero stared out the car window, he was lost in a sea of conflicting thoughts.

Zero knew he was being silent, and was sure he caught Kaname glancing worriedly at him from the corner of his eyes a few time, but he didn't bother trying to assure him he was okay; after all too many things were running through his mind.

He had been surprised when Kaname had told him about his childhood, and was touched that he shared the still painful memories of his sister with him.

He hadn't realized Kaname had such a vendetta with the police, but he must have some connections of his own. It at least explained why no cops had shown up to question him about the attack.

….then again, they could have shown up when he was hiding out at Sara's.

Speaking of which, He couldn't say he was happy to know he had been such a loyal client to Sara's establishment, but of course he could understand the wanting to _forget _more than anyone. He didn't judge Kaname at all for what he did, how could he when all Kaname was doing was looking for some sort of retribution? The very retribution that Zero got when he threw himself into his work, or let Ichiru beat him into unconsciousness.

But when he heard that Kaname had blamed himself for his sister's death, all he could think was that maybe Kaname would be the one person who understood how he felt.

Not about Ichiru.

But about the real reason behind everything…

About his parents.

About their death….

Death that he caused.

It was that turning point that made Zero finally come to his decision. He would take Kaname to his house and tell him the truth.

It was a big choice, because he understood just what telling him would mean.

Because once the truth was out, there was no going back.

Kaname may have had some ideas on what Ichiru had been doing to him, but he never really knew the whole story.

The thing was, the moment Kaname figured out it was Ichiru; Zero already knew it would be too late.

Ichiru would kill him.

It made sense that Ichiru would easily kill Kaname and dispose of him to make sure whatever evidence he gathered would never re-surface.

But if Zero was the one to spill the beans himself, well then he would be the one to get the bulk of the punishment, and hopefully Kaname would be able to get away with his life.

It was a risky gamble, but Zero was willing to take that shot, they were already in too deep.

So since he was going to die anyway, why not go out with a clean conscious?

"_Yes, it's best this way. I didn't have much to live for anyway. Besides, my heart will continue to deteriorate until it shuts down. So this will be merely speeding up the process."_

With those morbid thoughts came a sense of trance like calm.

Because once he accepted that Ichiru would inevitably find him and kill him for spilling his secrets, he realized he would finally be free.

Free of the burden he carried his whole life.

There was only one thing that bothered him…

If he were to die, then what would stop Ichiru from killing Kaname too?

That was the one catch in his plan that he couldn't seem to get around.

After everything Kaname had done for him, he certainly didn't deserve death, and Zero swore he wouldn't let himself be responsible for yet another person he cared about.

Stopping suddenly in his thoughts, Zero realized he did care for Kaname; he cared about him more than anyone else.

But what could he do? He had already accepted that he would most likely die after this.

He knew Kaname was stubborn, and that he would most likely try to go after Ichiru himself!

His last hope was that after showing Kaname everything, Kaname would be smart enough to realize exactly who he was dealing with.

And hopefully he would be able to use his life as a bargaining chip with Ichiru.

He would strike a deal with him when the time came, and plead with him to take his life in exchange for Kaname's….it was the only way.

"_Yes, I'll tell Kaname tell everything, and soon enough Ichiru will find out I spilled the beans, and come for me. After that, all that would be left to do is wait."_

* * *

_**Yayayay I'm back, and my last final exam is DONE! And while most people are out getting drunk and partying to celebrate…I am celebrating by updating my stories! LOL how cool am I? :P Anyway! Now that I finally have some time free, I was suddenly inspired so I'm posting again right after this, and hopefully again after that! :D**_

_**EXTRAS PAGE has been updated with replies, but this time instead of a new drabble, I'm just posting another chapter ;) ahaha, so enjoyyy!**_

_**Xoxo**_


	18. PART 1 Chapter 18

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter eighteen- The Truth behind the Reason**_

* * *

Kaname's sleek black car pulled to a stop up in front of the familiar old house.

Zero had not spoken a word since they left the mansion, and the car ride had been spent in a tense silence. The silence continued as they both exited the car.

Kaname could barely suppress a chill as they walked up to the door that he had previously kicked down in his haste to get to Zero.

He couldn't help but replay the image of Zero bleeding and unconscious in his mind again and again. And could only imagine what horrid memories Zero must be going through himself.

Cautiously, Kaname placed a comforting hand on Zero's shoulder.

"We don't have to do this you know. I'm sorry I tried to push the truth out of you before, but you don't have to tell me if you're not ready."

Without turning around, Zero spoke slowly yet in an eerily clam voice.

"It's fine Kaname. Let's just do this."

* * *

Zero pushed his way through the still broken door, and took a deep breath as memories flooded his brain the moment he stepped foot in the familiar house.

He shut his eyes tightly for moment, as every space, every inch, every surface of the house had some sort of painful memory.

Reminding himself of why he was doing this, Zero grabbed Kaname's hand and pulled him through the living room and up the stairs to the bedroom area.

He had already made up his mind to tell Kaname everything…

But that didn't mean he was going to go into the gritty details.

He figured he's spare Kaname most of Ichiru's "sessions" and just stick with the main things.

Sighing, he stopped walking as he stood in front of a door.

Kaname recognized it as the door to the room he assumed was Zero's when he had last been there investigating.

But before he opened the door he turned to face Kaname

"Look, I know you know its Ichiru, but just how much do you know about him?" Zero asked slowly.

Kaname hesitated before answering truthfully

"Other than that he's your identical twin, basically nothing."

Zero just sighed before turning around to face the door once more.

"Well before he became like how he was now…we were actually pretty close." He opened the door and gestured for Kaname to follow him in.

"This used to be our room when we were both kids and my parents were still alive." He said softly as he gently ran a hand over the bed.

"Used to be? You mean this wasn't the room you stayed in when you lived here with Ichiru?"

Zero braked out a harsh laugh.

"Hardly. I haven't been allowed in this room for years. Mast- I mean Ichiru never like remembering that we used to sleep in the same bed as children." Zero said, catching himself before called Ichiru 'master' "The only reason it's still here is for appearance sakes. If anyone ever searched the house they would see it and assume it's my room. "

Kaname was slightly surprised; he had assumed exactly what Zero had said. But now that he was looking, he could see how the bed would be big enough for 2 infants, and how the furniture in the room was slightly smaller, and more child size.

Zero let out a deep sigh before moving to sit on the floor by the bed. He hesitated for a second before changing his mind and sitting on the bed itself. His eyes shifted to the door, as if waiting for someone to scold him for it, but when nothing happened, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and motioned for Kaname to sit beside him.

"The reason I showed you this room first is because this room is from a time before all of…well _this. _And I just want you to keep in mind that things weren't always this bad. And that there's a reason Ichiru punishes me…."

Kaname turned to look at Zero, giving him his full attention. He nodded in encouragement to take his time, and continue when he was ready.

"It's because I deserve it." Zero whispered harshly, angry tears starting to well in his eyes.

Kaname opened his mouth to protest, but Zero raised his hand and motioned not to say anything till he was finished.

"You see…I murdered our parents."

* * *

Zero closed his eyes, and tried to steady his breathing, he remembered it like it was yesterday...

_*flashback*_

"_NO! I DON'T WANT TO! I HATE IT!" A Young Zero exclaimed angrily as he rushed out of the house and slammed the door behind him._

"_Zero they were just trying to-" Kaien Cross stopped his sentence when he felt a small hand on his arm._

"_He doesn't mean it, he's just mad. I'll go talk to him." The younger child smiled sweetly at him, and Cross just sighed before giving a small smile and ruffling his silver hair._

"_Okay. I'll go call your parents to come pick you both up. They'll be here soon so don't stray too far."_

_Ichiru just nodded and then quickly ran after Zero with a concerned look his face._

_The younger boy found his identical counterpart standing with his back to him. His shoulders shaking as silent sobs racked his little body._

"_Zero…" He tried as he put a hand on his shoulder._

_But Zero merely jerked out of his grip and spun around. His eyes wet and angry._

"_WHAT? "_

_Ichiru took one look at Zero and pulled him into a tight hug. He waited patiently for the trembling to stop before he gently asked._

"_Why are you getting so upset? You're super talented, and Mommy and Daddy both think so! Isn't that a good thing?"_

_Angrily, Zero pushed away from Ichiru and rubbed the tears from his eyes._

"_I don't care! They lied to me! They said we were just going to visit Uncle Cross they didn't say anything about me trying out for his stupid school!"_

"_But it's not like you would be going to his school now…it would be when you're older. Besides I thought you liked arch-archy-archery?" Ichiru asked as he stumbled to say the hard word._

_Zero sniffed loudly before scowling at the bow in his hand. "I hate it! The only reason I do it is 'cuz mommy says it makes her happy, and daddy says I'm good. But I don't want to do it! I want to quit! "_

_Zero's voice trembled on the end, his voice hitching just slightly, reminding anyone who would be watching that despite the vocabulary, the 2 boys were just children._

_Hearing his brother starting to get upset again, Ichiru spoke calmly._

"_You know…you should be happy. At least you're good at something. Mommy and Daddy are proud of you…they don't look at you the way they look at me."_

_Surprised that his twin actually sounded so bitter, Zero turned to face him._

"_That's not true! You're good at lots of things! Mommy and Daddy love us both the same! Besides, I'm sure someday you'll be even stronger than me! You just have to drink your milk." Zero smiled proudly, thinking he came up with the easy solution for Ichiru's weakness compared to his own._

_For a second, something seemed to flash in Ichiru's eyes, something darker than just mere jealousy; but in a blink of an eye it was gone, and one would assume they had imagined it being there at all. _

_Instead of commenting on Zero's previous statement, Ichiru picked up the Forgotten Arrow on the floor and placed it in Zero's hands. _

"_I'm sure they'll be here soon. Hey why don't you show me your skills while you're waiting?"_

"_Don't wanna." Pouted Zero beside him._

"_Come on! Pleaseeee!"_

"_No."_

"_Please?"_

"_No."_

"_please please please please please pl-"_

"_ALRIGHT! Sheesh! What do you want me to do?"_

"_Uhm I dunno, just hit something."_

"_Kay, but what?"_

"_That tree over there!" Ichiru exclaimed excitedly as he pointed to a tree several feet away that was located on the opposite side of the main road._

_Zero sighed but dutifully drew his bow back and held it steady as his arrow was set in place._

_Till this day, Zero would never know if when he stumbled back, he had tripped over a loose root in the ground, or if Ichiru had purposely stuck his foot out, wanting Zero to fail just once._

_But either way, it was in that one tense moment that their lives had changed dramatically._

_Zero had fallen backwards, just as he was letting go of the bow._

_The arrow soared through the air, with its misdirection causing it to fly straight towards the main road, and to the 2 boys' horror, directly towards the car that was now speeding down the road._

_Their parent's car._

_As if in slow motion, the boys watched in horror as the arrow sailed through the windshield, shattering the glass, and sending the car swerving out of control._

_Losing control of the wheel, the car flipped on its side and continued to flip as it tumbled down the road. The sickening crunch of metal along with their mother's screams could be heard echoing in the silence as the car finally came to a complete stop upside down on the side of the road, several meters from where the boys had been standing._

_At first neither one of the boys moved, both stunned into silence, not even daring to breathe._

_It wasn't until the door swung open and Cross's hurried footsteps could be heard that snapped the boys out of their stupor._

_Ichiru was the first to move as he raced towards the wreckage._

"_MOM! MOMMY! MOMMY!" Ichiru screamed as he banged on the car door, not understanding why his mothers pale face would not open her eyes, or why both his parents were covered in so much red. "DADDY? TELL MOMMY TO WAKE UP! TELL HER!DADDY? DADDY!"_

_Cross had to pry Ichiru away from the car, and tried to shield him from the disastrous fate of the poor boys parents as he frantically shouted into his phone for the ambulance._

_All the while, Zero still stood frozen, not moving from his spot._

_In the next few minutes, Things got chaotic as people were suddenly everywhere. Zero barely recognized some of them as paramedics, or other passerby's who had heard the noise of the crash._

_Zero didn't come out of his daze until he was knocked to the ground with a furious Ichiru on top of him._

"_IT 'S YOUR FAULT THEY'RE DEAD! YOU KILLED THEM! IT'S YOUR FAULT!"_

_Finally seeming to get a hold of himself Zero shook his head as tears streamed down his face._

_"I d-didn't m-mean to! I-it w-was an a-accid-dent" He stuttered, but Ichiru's eyes were ablaze as his small hands wrapped tightly around Zero's throat._

_As Zero choked and tried desperately to take a breath in, Ichiru leaned close to his face and whispered nastily._

_"Don't lie to me, and don't lie to yourself. You were angry at them. You wanted them to die. You shot that arrow with purpose, and you got your wish. They're dead now….because of YOU."_

_Seeing Cross coming, Ichiru regretfully let go of Zero's throat. As Zero coughed and gasped for air, he gave him a final glare._

_"You belong to me now Zero. And I will make you regret this day till you take your very last breath."_

_*End flashback*_

* * *

As Zero finished his tale of woe, he didn't realize he was crying till Kaname gently wiped the tears from his face.

"Oh Zero." Kaname whispered sadly as he pulled him into his chest.

Zero took a few shuddering breaths before slowly pushing away.

"Stop. I didn't tell you this to gain your sympathies. I told you this because I thought you'd understand…"

"Under stand? Wha- Wait. Zero. Don't tell me you truly believe that it's your fault."

Even with tears in his eyes, Zero managed to glare at Kaname.

"Of course I do! Think about it! If it wasn't for me shooting that arrow, none of that would have happened! And even then! If I hadn't been so selfish about not wanting to do archery anymore… they wouldn't have had to come early to pick me up!"

"Zero… you weren't acting selfishly. You had every right to not pursue something you had no interest in."

Zero just gave Kaname a stubborn look.

Kaname sighed as he realized there would be no convincing Zero on this at least not yet.

Changing tactics, Kaname frowned as he thought of something.

"The one thing I don't understand is why you continued to pursue archery if you hated it so much? Especially after the accident… I would think you would put away your bow and never want to pick it up again. Why go to the very school that you despised so much as a child?"

Kaname took one look at Zero's face and then paled as the Realization set in.

"Don't tell me… Ichiru made you …didn't he?"

"It was to be my punishment. To go to the very school that caused me to shoot that arrow, and continue to use the very instrument that caused their death."

Kaname shook his head. His thoughts of Ichiru darkened as he realized that every little thing he had been doing had a purpose to make Zero feel even guiltier then he already does!

"So then …you walking to school let me guess that's punishment too?" Kaname asked slowly as he slowly started catching on in the way Ichiru would think.

Zero nodded silently

"Yeah it's my punishment to never get into another car again. I mean I don't deserve to right?"

"Zero! That that's not true at all!" Kaname tried to get Zero to look into his eyes but the silverette quickly turned his head and stood off the bed, avoiding eye contact.

"We're not talking about this anymore. Come on. There are still things I want to show you."

Kaname said nothing as he followed Zero out of the room that was once filled with childhood memories.

Zero then led Kaname to the door to the master bedroom, but hesitated before touching the doorknob.

"This is Ichiru's room. We're not allowed in here. But we need the key for the next place I'm going to show you. "

Kaname was even more curious, but he patiently waited for Zero to go first since he was so obviously tense.

Kaname wanted nothing more to hug Zero and comfort all his fears, murmuring in his ear that Ichiru wasn't here and he wouldn't be able to hurt him anymore.

However, he knew that this was not the time or place, and Zero was obviously battling his inner demons in order to even come this far.

So he wisely kept silent.

Zero meanwhile was contemplating the type of punishment he would be getting for setting foot in Ichiru's private space.

He almost started hyperventilating right then and there, before he reminded himself that he was going to die after all this anyway, so what would a few more broken bones matter if he were to get caught now?

Holding in a breath, Zero slowly and dramatically open the door before taking a step into the room.

Years of practice made Zero able to keep his eyes down not been to glance about the room even though his curiosity was practically killing him.

Reminding himself that he was there for a reason, he walked straight up to the bed and hesitantly stretched his arms to reach for the large portrait of the cherry blossom tree over a blood red sunset hanging elegantly above the bed.

Blushing slightly when he found he couldn't exactly reach, but not wanting to put his feet on the bed; he turned to Kaname and mumbled a little embarrassedly

"Can you reach that picture frame and bring it down?"

Kaname nodded and leant forward from behind Zero to lift the large picture frame. As he lifted it off the wall, he noted a single small black key had been hidden behind it.

"Is that it?" He asked curiously, while cursing himself for not checking for a key the last time he had been here.

"Yeah"

Kaname nodded as he took the key down and gave it to Zero to hold.

Seeing as Zero seemed extremely anxious to get out of the room, Kaname replace the picture frame and followed Zero as he hurried out.

Zero couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind them. For some reason he had felt like their eyes watching him while he was in there, And at one point, he had been sure that Ichiru was about to jump out! Shuddering at the very thought; but dismissing the feeling as simply paranoia, he hadn't even noticed how hard his heart had been racing.

Getting a hold of himself, Zero lead Kaname down the hall to the last door in the corridor.

Kaname was surprised to see that it was the very room that was locked tightly the last time he was there! Curiosity grabbed hold of him and he felt a bubble of anxiousness as he realized was finally going to find out what was behind the mysterious locked door.

Silently Zeros stuck the small key into the door and once the click unlocking could be heard, Zero slipped the key into his pocket and slowly opened the door before motioning for Kaname to look inside.

Kaname nodded his head and obeyed hesitantly.

When he first peered into the dingy room, he was almost disappointed to see the room was most likely just an old storage closet. The ceiling was quite low, that Kaname had to crouch to get a better look inside, but there was nothing in there other than an old dirty mattress in one corner with a giant first aid kit sitting on top of it, and several articles of dirty clothes scattered on the ground.

"_But why go through all that trouble to lock and reinforce this door if there's nothing in here?"_ Kaname wondered.

Not really understanding what Zero was showing him, Kaname turned to look back at him with a question in his eyes

Zero looked down and found he couldn't meet Kaname's eyes when he finally mumbled out

"This is my room."

Shocked and appalled Kaname felt his jaw drop open.

"WHAT?! Zero! This room is not fit for living! You can't even stand up in here!" Kaname yelled aghast.

He immediately regretted raising his voice when Zero flinched and looked down.

"Hey, I didn't mean to raise my voice. I'm just upset that someone actually forced you to sleep in here."

Zero shrugged and continued to look everywhere but at Kaname.

"Did he lock you in? Is that why there was a key?" Kaname asked softly, trying his hardest not to let his anger at Ichiru show through his voice.

When Zero just nodded, and wrapped his arms around himself in a protective gesture, Kaname wanted nothing more to hold Zero, and comfort him. But when he moved closer to him, Zero flinched and stepped back, missing the look of hurt on Kaname's face.

"Zero…you know I would never hurt you right?" Kaname asked hesitantly, almost scared to hear the answer.

Zero nodded but squeezed his eyes shut.

"Yeah. But just…being in this place is bringing back a lot of memories."

Kaname sighed lightly in relief, but then frowned that Zero was putting himself through so much obvious discomfort.

"Then let's go, we don't have to stay here any longer." Kaname said softly, as he urged Zero to leave the room.

Zero didn't answer, but he did grab Kaname's hand and hold it tightly.

Kaname smiled, and squeezed it encouragingly back.

"Come on." Kaname said as he pulled Zero out of the room.

They both silently made their way back to the car, each one lost in their own thoughts.

Kaname; thinking about ways to make Zero understand none of this was his fault,

And Zero; with dozen of memories spent in that tiny room bandaging his own wounds.

* * *

Halfway back to the mansion, Kaname changed directions.

Zero was obviously too lost in his thoughts to notice, but when they pulled up to a cemetery instead of the mansion Zero looked at Kaname questionably.

Kaname took a deep breath before gently grabbing hold of Zero's hand. He then turned to look at Zero with a look of determination on his face.

"Zero. I want to thank you for sharing with me what you did today. And know that you can always trust me. But more than anything, I want you to know I do understand. I may not be able to relate to any of the horrible things Ichiru put you through, but I do understand what it feels like to put the blame on yourself. Zero, believe me I know that feeling of self hatred all too well! But it's not worth it. You can't live with that kind of burden. You have to learn to forgive yourself. No matter whose fault it was!"

Zero stared wide eyes at Kaname. No one had ever said something like that to him before!

"But-"Zero started to protest but Kaname just put a finger to his lips.

"Please just think about it. For me."

At seeing Zero's hesitant nod, Kaname broke out into a beautiful smile.

"Good, because there's someone I would like you to meet."

Still holding hands, they both got out of the car and Kaname led Zero through the graveyard before stopping in front of a pale marble tombstone.

Zero didn't have to read the headstone to know what would be written. But just to be sure, he snuck a peek. As predicted it read:_ "Here lies Yuuki Kuran cherished daughter and sister. Born xxxx-xxxx "_

Along with the quote "_Angels can fly because they carry no burdens, may our little angel be free to take flight."_

Zero stared down at the headstone and felt a pang in his heart as he read the year of her death. She was so young, only 8 years old.

Zero turned to look at Kaname and bit his lip as he saw the tears welling in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Zero whispered.

"Don't be." Smiled Kaname, even if it was pained smile.

"I've accepted it." He cleared his throat a little before squatting down and lovingly touching the headstone.

"Hey Yuuki. There's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Zero. He's my… well… he's a really special friend. And he means a lot to me. But he's been through a lot. And so I was wondering if maybe you could help him move on from his past just like you helped me."

Here, he leant down and rested his head lightly on the headstone with his eyes closed. "I miss you my dear Yuuki. But you're always in my heart. I love you."He then gave a light kiss to the grave. Before wiping his eyes and giving a soft smile to Zero.

Zero felt a little awkward, like he was intruding on a very private moment, but at the same time he was so deeply touched that Kaname trusted him enough to take him here, and show such a vulnerable side.

Kaname then stood up and gently touched Zero's shoulder.

"Talk to her. I'll be waiting by the car."

Zero watched as Kaname walked back, and left him alone in the silence of the wind.

Awkwardly cleared his throat, and blushing lightly, Zero knelt down so he was facing the grave once more.

"Uhm, Hi Yuuki. I'm sorry I never got the chance to meet you, but I'm sure we would have gotten along really well…" Zero scratched his head as he thought of what to talk about, in a strange way; he almost wanted Yuuki's approval of him being Kaname's friend.

Sighing, he gave up and decided to just voice what was on his mind.

"Kaname…he's amazing. And I have no doubt he must have been a wonderful, if not an overprotective older brother. He saw something in me when no one else did…he cares about me, and I always thought that would be impossible for someone like me to have! But I feel like I don't deserve it. I don't deserve his kindness, or his friendship. Because you see I did something terrible, and now I'm paying for it. But Kaname….if he sticks with me I'll just end up dragging him into all my problems, and he'll end up getting hurt. And that's the absolute last thing I want to do! I…I care about him too…maybe more than I've cared about anyone else before. It's strange…this feeling I get when I see him, or think of him…It's like my heart races, and it's hard to breath, and my stomach flip flops all over the place. But…not in the fearful way I get when I see Ichiru…It's the complete opposite! In like a good way. I think…maybe… I'm falling for him. Which is crazy! Because I don't deserve love, or happiness! I don't even deserve to be his friend! I belong to Ichiru and no one else. But…A part of me wants so badly to believe what Kaname's saying. To stay with him, and to…to…To forgive myself."

Zero could barely choke that last part out.

But when he had said the words out loud he found himself feeling a little better, if not ten times lighter.

He moved to get up, and couldn't help but letting his eyes flutter back to the quote

"_Carrying no burdens huh? I wonder if someday that would ever be possible for me or Kaname…."_

* * *

Kaname smiled as he saw Zero making his way towards him. His eyes were a little red and puffy, but he figured his own eyes looked the same.

"Did talking to her help?" He asked quietly as they both got back into the car.

"Actually yes. She…I'm sure she was a very sweet and caring person." Zero responded _"…like you." _Was what he wanted to say. But he kept that last part to himself. Smiling when he watched Kaname's whole face light up at the compliment to his sister.

"She was! It was impossible not to love her!"

They both sat in companiable silence for a while until Kaname pulled back up at the mansion and turned to look at Zero seriously.

"Zero, can I ask you something? Do you blame me for the death of my sister?"

Shocked, Zero stared wide eyes at Kaname

"No! Of course not! It was your uncle's fault! Not yours!" He almost shouted back angrily.

Kaname's lips twitched in a hidden smile.

Zero scowled as he realized what Kaname was implying.

"Kaname….that's different. The circumstances weren't the same with you and me. Your uncle was the one doing the killing that night; I can't say the same for myself."

"Zero" Kaname gently cupped Zero's face so he was staring deep into his pools of lilac.

"I want you to know that no matter what anyone else thinks, even yourself for that matter, I don't think it's your fault. I don't blame you for your parent's accident and I wish you wouldn't either."

Zero blinked back tears as an overwhelming emotion filled him. No one had ever spoken to him like that with such conviction before.

"Why are you doing all this for me Kaname? Why do you care so much?"

Kaname sighed, and let out a harsh chuckle.

"There's that question again. Is it really so hard to believe that someone actually cares about how you feel?"

"Actually yes."

"Well I do."

"How do I know you're not just doing all this as a way or retribution for Yuuki? You couldn't save her so now you're trying to save me!" Zero spat back angrily.

He immediately regretted it when he saw Kaname wince. It was a low blow and he knew it. Especially after Kaname had just taken him to her grave. But he couldn't help but try to push Kaname away.

It was what he always did when someone got close to him, and so far Kaname had managed to knock down almost every wall he had in matter of mere days!

Meanwhile Kaname stared at Zero while a bubble of emotions overwhelmed him. He looked into Zeros eyes and tried so hard to convey all his feelings for him.

He didn't know what to say to convince Zero his feelings for him were true!

So he decided to let his actions do the talking.

He slowly leant down till his face was inches away from Zero's and then gently pressed his lips to Zero's.

That one soft, yet innocent kiss held such a range of complex emotions, that for a moment Kaname froze and started to pull back, instantly thinking he made the wrong move.

But then, buy some miracle…he felt Zero kissing back.


	19. PART 1 Chapter 19

**Fallen Angel **

_**Chapter nineteen- Could this be love?**_

* * *

_***time skip***_

Zero lay comfortably in Kaname's warm arms.

He turned his head so that it was buried in Kaname's broad chest, and he inhaled deeply, loving the smell of spicy Cinnamon body wash that he often associated with Kaname.

He nuzzled Kaname's neck affectionately before dropping a light kiss on his collarbone.

Kaname chuckled at his antics. And tightened his grip around Zero's torso before dropping a light kiss on top of his soft hair.

"And to think a month ago, you wouldn't even let me hold your hand!" Kaname joked.

Zero blushed but then stuck his tongue out at the smirking brunette.

"Shut up! A lot can change in a month."

Kaname nodded thoughtfully. That was certainly true.

It had been exactly one month since the surprise kiss in his car with Zero, and Kaname was happy to say things had finally started looking up.

He couldn't help but have a small smile tug at his lips as he remembered what Zero's first reaction had been…

_*flash back*_

_Zero was the first to pull back, with an expression of a mixture of shock, confusion, and…hope?_

"_K-Kaname….you just…you kissed me!"_

_Zero exclaimed in disbelief, with a tinge of awe hidden in his voice._

"_I know. I did. I was just thinking of a way to prove to you that I was serious about caring about you and-"_

_Kaname didn't get the chance to finish his sentence because Zero had suddenly thrown his arms around Kaname's neck and planted a second kiss on his lips!_

_Stunned, Kaname stared unblinkingly as Zero blushed and pulled away._

"_Sorry." He mumbled, looking down as the tips of ears turned pink._

"_Don't apologize!" Kaname almost shouted before biting his lip. He himself couldn't control the light flush on his face, but he couldn't help but feel a flutter of hope as Zero not only kissed him back, but instigated a second kiss himself!_

"_It's just…no one has ever said anything like what you said to me…and no one has ever cared about what happened to me before. I've always felt so worthless…but…I guess…kissing you felt…nice…"_

_Kaname looked into Zero's eyes with as much conviction on his face that he could muster._

"_You're not worthless Zero." _

_He then had a warm smile on his face, as he gently brushed the bangs out of Zero's face _

"_And it felt nice to me too."_

_They both stared at each other for a long time, seemingly lost in the moment before Kaname hesitantly asked_

"_So, what does this mean?"_

_Zero studied Kaname's nervous face for a moment before declaring his answer._

"_It means I believe you. That you weren't just saying that...and that…that I can trust you." Zero finished with a whisper._

"_So does this mean I can kiss you again?" Kaname asked equally softly._

_Zero nodded and Kaname was all too happy to comply._

_*end flashback*_

Zero stared down at Kaname's eyes curiously.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just our first kiss…. Or technically second. You said it was _nice_" Kaname said with an affectionate chuckle in his voice.

Zero just groaned and used his other arm to cover his eyes.

"Are you ever going to let that go?"

"I don't know...I mean just 'nice'? And here I was thinking of the words such as euphoric, and pure and indescribable-"

"Okay okay!" Zero laughed as he grabbed the pillow off the bed they had been snuggling on and used it to whack Kaname in the face.

Kaname; although found himself with a face full of pillow, decided he could never tire of hearing Zero's beautiful laugh. A few weeks ago, he wouldn't have even dreamed t it possible to get any sort of smile from him. And now he able to hear his sweet laughter! It made him even happier to know that he himself was the source of that joy! And so if it meant brining a smile to his angels face...well, Kaname decided he would gladly suffer from a pillow attack every day.

Oblivious to Kaname's thoughts, Zero's hand curled around Kaname's slightly larger one.

"It wasn't just _'nice'_ what I had wanted to say was _'right'_ kissing you…it just felt _right_."

Zero got serious towards the end of his sentence and couldn't help staring into Kaname's big brown eyes and wondering how he ever got lucky enough to finally have something good in his life…even if it would be short lived.

Kaname smiled and leaned up to place a chaste kiss on Zero's lips.

Zero smiled in return and leaned back down to rest his head on Kaname's chest. However, this time, he found that not even the steadying beat of the brunette's heart could calm his nerves of the future.

Zero was no fool. He knew it was all a matter of time before everything came crashing down around him. He knew it at the time of the kiss, and he knew it now.

_*flashback*_

"_Kaname…I…I changed my mind. I can't do this. I shouldn't be dragging you into all of this!"_

"_Zero. We'll get through this together; I'm not going to leave you."_

"_But Ichiru!"_

"_Ichiru will not hurt you. I won't let him."_

"_It's not me I'm worried about…"_

_*end flashback*_

Zero sighed, as the small bubble of guilt that had manifested itself inside him the moment they first kissed; grew larger with every passing moment they stayed together.

Zero was terrified that Kaname was going to get hurt because of him!

Even the thought of his acceptance to his inevitable death did nothing to calm his frazzled nerves. Because while when it was just him, he had nothing to lose; now there was so much more at stake!

"_God-damnit Zero! You're such an idiot! Why did you have to be selfish?! You should have just pushed Kaname away the moment he tried to kiss you! You shouldn't have let him get so close to you! You're putting him in danger every time you're near him!"_

Zero shook his head softly as he continued to mentally berate himself on his impulsive decision. True, in hindsight he knew it would have been safer for Kaname if he had just ignored all of his rising feelings for him, instead of acting on them.

But the truth was, Zero had been deprived of any and all forms of affection for so long, that when the moment finally presented itself, he unconsciously jumped at the chance and clung to it! He had gone much too long without any feelings of love or even human companionship; that he didn't even realize how much he desperately craved it.

That wasn't to say there hadn't been moments when Zero had second thoughts, and tried to push Kaname away or shut him out.

…But Kaname was nothing if not persistent. He continued to stubbornly pursue Zero and refused to give up on him even on his worse days.

"_Then of course, he had to make it harder for me to deny my feelings by being so god damn caring all the time" _

Zero thought begrudgingly as he reflected to about the first several days after he had agreed to move back in.

_*flashback*_

_Zero was whimpering in his sleep. He tossed and turned and scrunched up his forehead as he started to cry out and plead._

"_NO! Please don't! I'll be good I promise! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"_

_Through all the haze of pain and suffering, he felt soft feather-like touches as a hand stroked the hair out of his face. And reassurances being whispered in his ear._

_As his fear slowly ebbed away, Zero opened his eyes to see Kaname looking down at him with concern._

"_Zero? You were having a nightmare. But you're okay now. I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you."_

_Not fully awake yet, Zero ended up mumbling something he would have kept to himself under normal circumstances._

"_Promise?" He asked in a very small, very vulnerable voice._

"_Promise!" Kaname said fiercely._

_The brunette then realized he was still gripping Zero's hand. Knowing about his aversion to physical contact, and not wanting to make him uncomfortable, he slowly released his grip and moved to get up._

"_Wait!" Zero suddenly sat up in bed and tightly grasped onto Kaname's hand once more._

"…_stay." Whispered Zero shyly._

_Surprised, but honored that Zero still wanted him there; Kaname nodded and slowly eased himself to sit back down on the floor beside the bed. Zero snorted at him and rolled his eyes._

"_I don't bite Kaname…" He stated softly as he shifted to the side of the bed to make more room._

_Kaname was once again taken by a pleasant surprise, but he happily climbed in the bed all the same; basking in the fact that Zero trusted him. He couldn't hide his smile when Zero cuddled into his chest and dropped to sleep quickly. Feeling obviously safe in Kaname's arms, Zero slept soundly throughout the rest of the night._

_They hadn't spoken of that night since, or of Zero's many more reoccurring nightmares, but after several days of Kaname having to wake Zero up from his thrashing, and only getting him to calm when pulling him into his chest and promising to stay with him, it became an unspoken rule that Zero and Kaname just sleep together to save themselves from all the trouble._

_Zero hadn't even realized how much he truly relied on Kaname to be beside him until it got to the point where Zero could no longer fall asleep unless Kaname's warm body was right there next to him._

_*end flashback*_

Ever since then, Zero and Kaname still share the same bed every night.

And although things hadn't progressed further than kisses, Zero found himself opening up to Kaname more and more.

He still often felt shy and insecure around him, but more than that he started developing a fluttery feeling he couldn't quite name whenever the brunette was around.

"_Could this be…love?"_

The word was a foreign concept to him. Because for someone like Zero, it was nearly impossible to differentiate the love between family, the love between friends and the love between something more; If not simply because he had never experienced anything of the sort for so many years.

For a while, he had been sure that the only feeling he would ever know would be the pure hatred Ichiru had inflicted upon him and the feeling of being utterly undeserved and worthless.

But with Kaname's constant reassurance, slowly, those feelings were starting to fade, and become replaced with new feelings. Confusing feelings. Feelings; that Zero was honestly unsure what to do with.

So Zero had decided to take things one day at a time.

And at the moment, while he was perfectly content simply cuddling with Kaname like they so often did... another part of him was aching for more.

He wasn't sure what this feeling was, but more and more frequently did he find himself wanting to give in to it. To throw himself at Kaname and kiss him harder, more passionately, and even then, that wouldn't be enough!

He wanted to do something for Kaname that would bring him an immense amount of happiness.

He wanted Kaname to feel the pleasure that he himself felt ever since Kaname had come into his life and given him hope.

But at the same time, he craved the very same pleasure he so desperately wanted to give. Because for the first time in his life, Zero found himself wanting the attention, wanting the affection, wanting all the things he was never allowed to feel.

And just like that, without even realizing it, the brunette had started occupying most of the silverette's thoughts. Thoughts; that under normal circumstances would have been centered around Ichiru.

More and more often he found himself forgetting to think about his plan of dying by Ichiru's hands, to instead fantasize about Kaname when he wasn't around.

He hadn't even noticed the sudden turn his thoughts had recently started to take, or what it could mean.

Even now, while gazing admirably at Kaname's soft luscious hair, and smooth pale skin, Zero hadn't even realized he had slowly been getting hard till Kaname shifted beneath him (accidently brushing against his crotch) and Zero almost gasped out loud.

Flushing deeply, Zero scrambled off of Kaname's chest, prompting a confused look from the brunette.

"Zero? What's wrong?" Kaname asked concerned for Zero's jumpy behavior.

Kaname had also noticed how Zero's thoughts seemed to be all over the place lately, but he had assumed he was just worried about Ichiru. The last thing he expected was that Zero had actually been thinking about furthering their relationship.

It wasn't that Kaname didn't think about it himself. It was quite the opposite. In fact numerous times, he had to stop himself from jumping the poor boy when he had seen one of his innocent and pure smiles radiating off the silverette.

But Kaname thought it was a miracle that Zero had come this far, and had accepted what they had without complaint. He was so worried about scaring Zero off, that he tried his best to keep their "Relationship" on the down low. Trying not to move too fast and keeping things more to the strong friendship side, then of two people who were actually a couple.

He was sure Zero didn't see them that way, which made him confused on what Zero really thought about them.

"_Does he understand that friends don't just kiss each other? Does he want something more than this? Does he realize how I'm really starting to fall in love with him?"_

Kaname sighed frustratedly. It wasn't like he could go up and ask Zero these questions, and as far as he knew Zero never gave any outward signs that he wanted anything more than what they currently had.

Zero had been hard to read from the very beginning. And unfortunately no matter how much he chose to open up these past few weeks, it still didn't change him into giving any sort of hints on what he was really thinking.

So as Kaname stared at Zero blushing and shuffling from side to side, Kaname could only assume it was because he somehow screwed up again, and had done something to make Zero feel uncomfortable.

They often cuddled, and shared sweet kisses so he wasn't sure what it was he did to make Zero suddenly want to leave the embrace, but he figured that it was best not to draw attention to it when Zero was obviously having some sort of inner turmoil.

Stretching lightly Kaname sat up and gave Zero a reassuring smile.

"Well we have to get up anyway. We promised to meet up with the DC before school so you could go over a few of your self-defense lessons."

Zero smiled and nodded back. Kaname stood and ruffled his hair before leaving to go to his own room to change and get ready.

Zero had started going back to school a couple weeks ago, and while it had caused a bit of a commotion the first time he showed up with Kaname, the Disciplinary Committee had quickly accepted their newfound friendship, and were surprisingly supportive.

Zero had actually found himself getting along with all of them, especially Aido which came as a surprise to both of them.

Kaname had respected Zero's privacy and refused to disclose any details, but the DC must have come up with a few assumptions of their own since they each offered to teach Zero a few lessons in various forms of self defense. From Kendo to martial arts, each member of the DC happened to be quite skilled in an individual form, and encouraged Zero to learn some moves from them.

Zero had been touched, that despite his reputation in school, they were trying to teach him to fight.

Before he knew it, Zero had found himself with something he never dreamed possible…friends.

So as Zero stripped off his clothes and got ready for school, he found himself smiling to himself.

"Yes, a lot can change in a month."

* * *

They arrived at school early, and Zero couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he noticed there weren't as many people littering in the hallways.

He was used to getting looks of contempt when he had been known as the schools bad boy, but he still wasn't quite used to all the envious glances or jealous looks of longing that always seemed to follow when he and Kaname walked the halls together.

Then of course there were the rumors.

The first time they had pulled up at school together, there had been endless gossip as people wondered how the strange friendship came about. The rumors only increased when Zero was spotted waiting for Kaname to finish his meetings after school before the two of them rode home together.

Thankfully, by now most people had accepted the unlikely friendship between the president of the disciplinary committee and the school delinquent.

"Hey Zero! Kaname-sempai! There you are! We were thinking you weren't going to show!" Smiled Aido as he bounded down the steps to greet them.

Zero just scowled and gave Aido his famous glare. "Course I would! You didn't think I would skip out did you?"

Although Zero had become friends with the DC, Kaname was the only one he truly dropped his mask with. And while it was always a relief that he was allowed to show Kaname is weak side when they were alone, that didn't mean he was keen on letting the rest of the world see how pathetic he really felt.

Which is exactly why even though Zero had become friends with the DC, that didn't mean he fully dropped his bad boy act around them.

After all, he had a reputation to uphold.

No, Kaname was the only one he trusted to see the real him.

So as he followed Aido to the gym to continue his training, he turned to look at Kaname at the same time that Kaname met his eye.

They both shared a secret look, and Kaname gently squeezed his hand.

The words were unspoken, but the message was clear _"I'm always here. You don't have to ever pretend when you're with me."_

* * *

_**Wooo! Another update! I'm on a roll! :D**_

_**Okay, so incase some of you are thinking that given Zero's closed off personality he wouldn't have responded to Kaname's feelings so fast, you have to understand that Zero was basically starved from affection his whole life. He's been craving for love through this entire ordeal, so of course he's going to be enthusiastic when he finally gets a little shred of happiness!**_

_**Next update will be happening shortly…and it just may contain LEMON! :O :D ;)**_


	20. PART 1 Chapter 20

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter twenty- the Calm before the Storm**_

* * *

After arriving home later that day, Zero was once again cuddling on Kaname's lap as they both lounged on the bed.

They had been in the process of making out, but once again Kaname seemed to be making no move to take it any further than that.

"_I want to believe his words when he says that I'm not tainted…but how can I when it's so obvious he's disgusted by me? I mean why else would he not want to touch me. It's obviously because my body is so hideous with all these scars!" _Zero thought angrily and full of self loathing. He then started to feel guilty for even wanting Kaname in that way.

"_Kaname's done more than enough for me already! I should be content with simply being his friend, and even sharing a kiss now and then is heaven! I know I don't deserve it… But…I…I want more! I want him to want to touch me! I want him to love me! All of me!"_

Feeling Zero tense from the kisses, Kaname gently pulled away and cupped Zero's face to look into his eyes.

"What's wrong? You've been quiet lately…"

Zero quickly shook his head.

"It's nothing."

"You know you can tell me anything right? I'll always be here to listen and I'll never judge you" Kaname said reassuringly as he rubbed his hands up and down Zero's arms in comfort.

Zero nodded, but was too embarrassed to say what he was really thinking.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Zero hesitantly asked.

"That time with Kaito…in the infirmary…you saw the marks on my body."

Not sure where Zero was going with this, but wanting to be truthful no matter what, Kaname nodded.

Zero took a deep breath before asking his next question.

"What did you think?"

Kaname wasn't sure what answer Zero was looking for, but he had promised himself to always stick with the truth and that's what he intended to do.

"I thought it was a horrendous, unforgivable crime for someone to inflict those marks on your body. I thought it was unfair and cruel, and that whoever did that to you deserved to die."

Zero shook his head before Kaname could add anything else.

"No…I mean…what did you think…of my body? Did you find it…ugly?"

"No!" Gasped Kaname, aghast that Zero would ever think such a thing! "I could never think that! Even with all your bruises and wounds, I still found you beautiful Zero. I always did."

Zero was still not convinced.

"Then did you…did you see everything?"

Kaname blinked, unsure how to answer.

"Well, I had no way of knowing at the time if what I saw was everything he did to you or not… but I did only get a look at your chest. I'm sorry if I intruded on your privacy and saw something you weren't comfortable with showing. But I promise you I didn't see anything else!"

Zero gave a wry smile.

"Its fine Kaname…I don't mind that you saw. Well I minded at the time...but not anymore."

Taking a deep breath, Zero slowly started unbuttoning his shirt.

"There's something I want to show you…" Zero continued softly.

Zero pulled off his shirt, and knew all the laceration marks and scars were on display.

Zero shut his eyes as he felt Kaname's gaze on him.

Kaname meanwhile was starting to feel that familiar rush of hatred and rage towards Ichiru as he scanned the various scars that marred Zero's otherwise flawless body.

He knew what Ichiru had done was bad, but he had forgotten just _how _bad it really was.

The things that Ichiru used to do to him was one of the few things Zero still refused to talk about. So Kaname could only go by the assumptions and guesses made by himself and the doctor.

But once getting past the obvious anger towards Ichiru, Kaname couldn't quite hide his shock when what Zero was actually doing started to set in: he knew how uncomfortable and insecure Zero was with the scars on his body, and yet the fact that he was willing to bear it all in front of him; not just the physical, but the emotional scars too!…well it just showed the incredible amount of trust and faith he had in him.

Which made Kaname even more determined to support and be there for him through all his fears and insecurities.

"There's more…" Zero said quietly, taking Kaname's silence as permission to continue.

He slowly unwrapped the bandage on his arm, as Kaname gave a plaintive gasp at seeing the name carved into it.

Kaname carefully ran his trembling fingers over the name, and had to use a lot of self control not to let his true hatred and anger at Ichiru show through.

"Does it still hurt?" He asked softly

"Only the memory." Zero admitted.

He then hesitantly turned around so Kaname could see his back.

Zero couldn't see Kaname's face, but he imagined it was some sort of look of horror if the muffled gasp was anything to by.

"Now don't you see? My body is hideous…and I'm tainted." Zero whispered in anguish.

"_It's no wonder he's repulsed by me!" _Zero thought miserably.

He slowly felt Kaname run his hands up his scarred body, and kept waiting for the rejection that was sure to come…

But ended up letting out a small whimper of surprise when he felt feather light kisses trailing over the word that he had always been so ashamed of.

"Zero Kiryu you are no murderer! And none of these scars make you any less beautiful than you are to me. You're still my angel." Kaname whispered lovingly.

Sometimes he couldn't believe how strong Zero was. After everything he'd been through, he was still willing to put himself out there and learn to trust again. And Kaname felt so incredibly proud of Zero in that moment, there was literally nothing he wasn't willing to do if the silverhead had asked for it.

"Kaname…"

Zero turned to look into Kaname's face and saw the sparkle of unshed tears gleaming in his eyes.

His beautiful sweet Kaname was actually crying for him!

Zero didn't realize he was crying himself, till he felt Kaname lean forward and kiss away the tears

"Then prove it to me! Show me that this doesn't bother you! Show me…"

Zero suddenly stopped, not sure if he could go through with what he wanted to say without risk of sounding incredibly cheesy.

Kaname rubbed his shoulders encouragingly, silently urging him to continue.

"Show me that I'm still beautiful."

Seeing Zero so incredibly vulnerable, made Kaname's heart ache, and that raw and heartfelt request from Zero was all the prompting Kaname needed.

There had been a few miscommunications here and there, during the month of Zero's stay, but Kaname had thought they had both gotten better at expressing themselves. He suddenly realized with a jolt, that they hadn't even realized the biggest misunderstanding of all! That holding back this whole time in their relationship may not have been what Zero wanted or needed after all! Maybe all Zero had truly wanted was for someone to love him truly and unconditionally.

Kaname vowed to be that very person.

Kaname slowly pulled Zero so that he was lying against the bed, as he started kissing every scar and every mark on the silverette's battered body.

Zero closed his eyes and moaned lowly as Kaname started sucking on his neck.

Zero's hair fanned out around him, and gave the appearance of a silver halo. Which if possible only turned Kaname on even more.

He was already getting highly aroused, and if the flush on his face and slightly erratic breathing, was anything to go by, he could tell Zero was too.

Kaname didn't waste any time moving down to his chest, where he skillfully teased Zero's nipples till the nubs was hard and pink.

He then slowly moved his hands down to start rubbing the outside of Zero's crotch.

"K-Kaname!" Zero gasped out, barely able to stop himself from bucking into Kaname's hand.

"K-Kaname! W-wait!" Zero stated urgently.

Kaname immediately froze, and stared worriedly at Zero, thinking he went too far. An apology was on the tip of his tongue, but before he could say anything Zero continued.

"I don't want to be the only one with a lack of clothes..." He said shyly, as an adorable blush rose upon his cheeks.

Kaname grinned cheekily, as he breathed a sigh of relief, and lifted his shirt over his head.

Zero couldn't help but stare hungrily as he stroked Kaname's perfect milky skin.

"_How did I get so lucky? How does someone like Kaname be interested in someone like me?"_

As if sensing his thoughts, Kaname closed his eyes and leaned into Zero's touch, letting out a soft sigh, and then turning his head to give Zero's hand a gentle kiss.

Now both shirtless, Kaname leant down and resumed his kisses trailing down Zero's abdomen till he reached the zipper of his pants.

Pausing, Kaname looked up as if to ask for permission to continue.

With Zero's hurried nod, Kaname slowly unzipped Zero's fly, freeing his fully erect member.

Without warning, Kaname took Zero's whole shaft in his mouth, enticing a startled cry from Zero.

Kaname swirled his tongue expertly as he bobbed his head up and down, and when he gently bit down on the tip of its head, it took everything Zero had not to let go right then and there.

But when Zero made the mistake of opening his eyes and seeing Kaname's perfect face below him, he lost the last bit of control he had

"Nnhgh, Kanameee I-I'm coming!" He gasped as he tried to pull out of his mouth.

But Kaname just continued with a twinkle in his eye even as he felt Zero spasm and scream out his name.

Zero had closed his eyes as stars filled his vision and a white hot tingling sensation seemed to flow through his body. When he opened his eyes again, Zero watched in awe as Kaname swallowed every last seed of the milky like substance before leaning up to place a slightly salty kiss on Zero's lips.

Zero had never felt anything like this before…in a word, he felt euphoric. Not only that, but he suddenly found himself wanting Kaname to feel the same pleasure he was feeling.

He had been forced to give Ichiru hand jobs before, and the memory still made him mentally cringe, but there was something different about the idea of giving one to Kaname. Something that made him excited, eager to please, and in a way almost grateful that he at least would know what he was doing.

Shyly at first but slowly gaining confidence Zero unzipped Kaname's fly and held in a breath at the impressive view before slowly taking hold of his hard length and moving his hand back and forth.

Kaname groaned loudly, and Zero found himself gaining confidence as he relished in the pride that he was the one who was bringing forth such emotions.

He hadn't been going through the motions for very long when he felt Kaname bucking in his hand, and he knew Kaname was close.

Suddenly he wanted to see what else he could get Kaname to feel.

Making a split second decision, Zero leaned down and practically swallowed Kaname to the hilt, just as Kaname gasped out a warning.

Kaname stared wide eyed in shock, never expecting his shy partner to take him fully, and the sight of his beautiful angel with flushed cheeks and eyes glazed with lust was more than enough to send him over the edge.

As white stars filled his vision, he moaned out Zero's name loudly before falling backwards on the bed and pulling Zero into his arms to fall back with him.

As he panted to catch his breath, he couldn't help watching Zero with a look of adoration.

"God Zero! That was amazing!" He said enthusiastically as he tightened the hug and nuzzled into his chest.

At the moment Kaname figured Zero must have been feeling shy and tired and probably wasn't in the mood for much else. He knew this was by far the farthest they had gone, and did not want to put any pressure on Zero for having to go further. Kaname was content with just spooning him and cuddling till morning. Which is why it came as a great shock to him that Zero had other plans in mind.

The Silverette moved slightly in the embrace so that he was looking up at Kaname's handsome face.

"Kaname…I want you inside me."

Kaname froze and pulled back to look into Zero's eyes.

"Zero…" He said hesitantly

"Make love to me." Zero said earnestly

"Zeroooo" Kaname groaned, wanting so badly to agree, but not wanting to shatter the delicate trust he had put in him.

"Maybe this is too soon…are you really sure you're ready for this? Because once we start I won't be able to stop myself." Kaname said honestly.

Zero met those deep, soul searching eyes and nodded seriously.

"Yes. I've never been so sure of anything in my life before. Ichiru…he took a lot of things away from me, but this is one thing he never got to take…and you're the only one I want to share it with."

Touched by Zero's honest and so incredibly endearing words, Kaname leaned down to kiss Zero softly but thoroughly, letting his tongue slowly slip in to play in harmony with Zero's own.

Pulling away slightly He slowly shed Zero's pants, then his own before asking Zero to turn around and lay on his stomach.

Doing what he was told, Zero shut his eyes tightly, and after hearing some rummaging in one of the drawers beside him, he almost squealed in surprise when he felt something slick slipping into his entrance.

"This may hurt a little, but I need to prep you and stretch you out. I promise I'll be gentle." Kaname said reassuringly.

Zero nodded as he buried his head in the pillow. He had been used to pain all his life, so although he definitely found it uncomfortable, it wasn't unbearable.

As Kaname slipped a second finger in and started to scissor him, Zero found himself getting hot and impatient. He was already aroused, and he wanted Kaname in him NOW.

"Mmmmm! Kaname...more! I need more of you!"

Kaname didn't need to be told twice, and quickly got in position.

Zero felt the tip of Kaname's member press against his entrance. And for a second, he realized just what it was he was doing. But instead of feeling scared, he felt thrilled! That feeling of emptiness…and of longing that he had carried with him for so long was finally going to be filled by the one person he truly cared about!

"Zero?" Kaname questioned softly. "Are you ready?"

"Yessss!"

As Kaname slipped fully into Zero's entrance, Zero shut his eyes tightly at the sudden onslaught of pain.

Kaname groaned in pleasure as he felt engulfed by Zero's warm, tight body. Kaname was dying to move, but he managed to wait patiently till Zero was ready.

"Zero, I know it hurts, but you need to relax if you want it to feel good."

With Kaname's encouraging ministrations, Zero forced himself to un-tense his muscles and then with a wobbly voice told Kaname he could move.

Kaname's hard length was practically throbbing with need, and as soon as he got the go ahead he started thrusting forward. All the while moaning out Zero's name louder and louder.

Zero soon found the pain blending away into a deep intense pleasure and soon joined in on the groans of ecstasy.

Suddenly Kaname brushed against a bundle of nerves And Zero couldn't stop himself form crying out loudly and incoherently.

He barely remembered what he said, but he was sure whatever it was, was along the lines of

"OH YES! OH GOD YES!"

Kaname decided amusedly that he had found Zero's sensitive spot and continued to thrust deeply, till he rammed that spot again and again.

"MORE KANAME! MORE! HARDER! HARDER! Zero screamed as he continued to move his body to be perfectly in sync with Kaname's.

Zero wasn't sure how long he lasted before he was spluttering out "I'm close!"

"Nnngh Me too!" Groaned Kaname as he continued to thrust, loving the feeling of Zeros warm tight body around him.

As if on cue, they both reached their climax and came together, and Zero could feel a stream of white hot liquid fill him up at the same time the sticky substance squirted onto the bed and his stomach.

Zero swore he would never forget that night for as long as he lived, for during that one short moment, he felt as if he and Kaname were one. That they were truly connected, and shared the same soul.

Panting, Kaname gently pulled out of Zero before collapsing on top of him and trying to catch his breath. Not wanting to squish him, Kaname quickly rolled on to his side pulling Zero with him, so that he was holding him protectively to his chest.

"Zero…that was…"

"I know. Me too." Zero replied with a tired smile in his voice, his eyes already dropping closed…

Kaname smiled endearingly before planting a kiss to his brow as the silverette drifted off to sleep in seconds.

Kaname knew they needed to wash, but he too was exhausted from their previous activities, and didn't particularly feel like moving.

He was too tired to do anything more than caress Zero's silky hair before promptly falling asleep shortly after him.

* * *

_**Okay so I have to say that was officially the hardest chapter I've ever had to write! :S it was my first time writing something like that, so I'm sorry if parts sounded cheesy or awkward :/ please excuse my hopelessness but I'm hoping I'll get better with practice…which of course means that I'll just have to write a lot more lemon scenes in my stories ;)**_

_**So omg I'm so excited! This chapter was rightfully titled because there are literally only a few more chapters left before the end of PART1! :D**_


	21. PART 1 Chapter 21

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter twenty one- The Morning After**_

* * *

The next morning Zero awoke to see a pair of chocolate brown eyes watching him affectionately.

"Are you awake?" Kaname asked softly as he gently brushed a few stray hairs out from Zero's face.

Zero nodded and felt himself blushing scarlet as he remembered the past nights activities.

Studying his expression, Kaname slowly asked "Do you regret it?"

Eyebrows raised, Zero quickly turned to look back at Kaname and shook his head furiously

"No. Not at all."

Kaname chuckled at Zero's enthusiasm and gave him a chaste kiss on the forehead.

"That's good. Because last night was amazing and I hope to do it again sometime."

Zero found his face permanently heated up and wondered if he'd ever be able to look at Kaname in the eye again without turning red.

That being said, he didn't deny Kaname's request, which of course only made the brunette smile.

They lay comfortably together for a few minutes before Kaname cleared his throat.

"Zero….there's something I've been meaning to tell you. The truth is I think I lo-"

Kaname was cut off from whatever it was he was going to say by the shrill ringing of his cell phone.

Sighing, but making no move to answer the phone, Kaname remained where he was and opted to ignore it.

"What I'm trying to say is I think I've fallen in-"

Once again the shrill ringing echoed in the room, and Kaname couldn't help but wince as the ringer was set to get louder the longer you didn't answer it.

"You should get that…it might be important" Zero said lowly.

Kaname sighed, as the moment was now ruined. But he decided that maybe it was a sign that this just wasn't the right time to tell Zero how he felt after all.

He gracefully climbed out of bed, in all his naked glory and un-abashedly left the room to locate his cell phone.

* * *

Zero meanwhile let out a large sigh, and willed his heart to calm down.

For a second it sounded like Kaname was about to…

Zero shook his head quickly.

"_That's just hopeful thinking! There's no way he was going to admit he loved me! It's only been a month. Besides…there's no way he could love someone like me…."_

Bringing his hand to rest on his chest, when his wild beating heart did nothing to slow down, he sighed and decided he better take one of his pills.

He leaned over, (ignoring the slight pain in his backside) and opened the second drawer of the nightstand.

He blindly moved his hand around trying to feel the small bottle, but frowned when he couldn't feel anything of the sort.

Confused, he rolled out of bed, wrapping the thin bed sheet around his still naked body and knelt on the floor to get a better look. Sure enough, the drawer was empty of any bottles.

Frowning, Zero was sure he had put the bottle there the day before.

"Maybe I'm mistaken and it's in my school bag?"

Trying to ignore his rising panic, Zero snatched his backpack and swiftly emptied the contents on the floor.

Sure enough, the bottle wasn't there either.

Zero had officially lost all calmness and was now officially freaking out.

"_I couldn't have lost them! I just couldn't have!"_

To Zero's horror, he felt tears of frustration slowly start growing in his eyes.

He slid to the ground and clenched his fists tightly as he tried to get a hold of himself.

_"Okay clam down Zero. Breathe. Accelerating your heartbeat will only lead to an attack sooner. There's got to be an extra pill lying around here that I can use until I locate where I last had my pill bottle."_

Feeling slightly better now that he came up with a plan, Zero tried to think of what to do.

His first thought would have been to call the doctors and ask them if they had anymore, but he had already tried that several times before when Ichiru had been holding his pills hostage as punishment. The doctors always said the same thing: that they were the last batch of pills, they were suppose to last him all year and that it'll take time to make him new ones, blah blah blah.

Knowing that the doctors would be of no help except for a lecture on being more responsible, Zero tried to think of any place that might have a pill somewhere.

Zero suddenly recalled a conversation he had had with Kaname after explaining how he ended up at Sara's in the first place.

*_flash back *_

"_I never did thank you for saving me."_

"_Which time?" Kaname joked._

_Zero playfully shoved Kaname's arm as he rolled his eyes._

"_That time at Sara's…when you gave my pills."_

"_Oh that! Yes, I seem to remember having to think of a way to get you to swallow them…"_

_Kaname chuckled at Zero's blush but then leaned down to press a chaste kiss to his cheek._

"…_I almost thought I lost you that night." He whispered fearfully._

_Zero just squeezed his hand before replying gratefully_

"_I guess you did arrive just in time…what made you know I was going to have an attack?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_My pills…you brought them with you…"_

_Kaname looked at him with a puzzled expression._

'_Zero…" He started slowly "I didn't bring your pills with you…I found them in your pocket."_

_Zero looked at him with a look of confusion._

"_Kaname…what are you talking about? I had run out of my pills at that time...there's no way I could have had any extras in my pocket…"_

_Kaname just frowned. "I'm sure you put them there and just forgot about it."_

"_Maybe…" Zero agreed. But he wasn't so sure..._

_*end flashback*_

They hadn't talked about it since, (since Sara's was still a bit of a touchy spot for both of them) but now Zero wondered if maybe Maria had been the one to put the pills in his pocket.

It was a long shot, but she was the only one who handled his costume that night…other than Sara. So with a small string of hope he picked up the cell phone Kaname had bought for him. He didn't have her contact programmed in, but Zero had a good memory and he remembered reading the club's phone number on all those masquerade invitations he helped hand out.

So he slowly dialed the number to Sara's club, hoping someone would answer.

Maria picked up on the first ring.

"_Zero…what a surprise."_

"Hi Maria. Uhm...this is a bit of an odd request…but I was wondering if I left any small pills in the room I had been staying at." He said awkwardly

"_Pills? Do you mean drugs? Naughty Naughty! I thought that's what those things were. You know our establishment sells our own brand of E so if you were looking for ecstasy you could have just asked."_ Maria replied in a drawl.

Zero sighed frustratedly. Why was he not surprised that Sara's establishment was selling drugs too?!

"They were not drugs. Look they were little white pills, and they're my err…medicine. Do you remember seeing any?" Zero had to mentally berate himself for how sketchy that actually sounded. No wonder Maria though they were drugs!

"_Course I did! I took a few to sample to see if they were as good as our own brand."_

"You WHAT?!" Zero spluttered.

"_Well it's not like you'd miss them…you had a whole bottle full! I just wanted to run a few tests to compare them to our own brand, and once I did I slipped most of them right back in your pocket and you never seemed to notice so no harm done right?"_

"Look whatever. But if you kept any, do you still have them left? I really need them!"

"_Yeah I might still have a couple. But seriously Zero…if you're looking for the good stuff I should really tell you about some of our products…"_

"NOT interested. Look I just need my pills. Can I stop by to get them?"

"_Hmm…you can but they're not at the club. We don't keep any 'products' there other than our own brand, so you'll have to swing by my house."_

"Okay that's fine. Thanks." Zero added as an afterthought.

"No problem. I'll text you the address and meet you there. See you soon!"

Zero breathed a sigh of relief after he hung up. At least that he had a temporary solution to one of his problems. But the problem still remained...where were the rest his pills?

"_I'm so sure I had placed them in the nightstand…but it's not like Kaname would have moved them, and it's impossible for anyone to break in right?"_

His phone beeped with the address and Zero decided he'd deal with one problem at a time.

He rushed to jump into the shower and then hurried to get dressed so he could leave the house quickly and get one of his pills as soon as possible.

He considered telling Kaname where he was going, but when he stuck his head in the door to his room, he seemed to be having an extremely serious and intense conversation with someone on the phone.

Not wanting to disturb him, but feeling too antsy to wait for him to finish his phone call, Zero closed the door and decided it would be best if just left the house by himself. Ignoring that nagging voice telling him what happened the last time he left without telling anyone, Zero assured himself he would be back before Kaname even got off the phone.

Zero was a few steps out the door when he paused.

He had finally convinced Kaname that he didn't need a burly body guard following him around everywhere as long as he never went anywhere alone, and here he was breaking that rule already!

"_Would me leaving without telling anyone be a way of betraying his trust?"_

Not wanting to offend Kaname after everything he'd done for him, but really needing to hurry, Zero decided to forward the address to Kaname's phone, just in case and then be on his way.

Having sent the text, Zero felt a bit better apart from the continuing tightness of his chest.

His hand automatically went to his heart.

"_I better hurry!"_

* * *

What Zero didn't realize was that while he had been so busy searching the drawer of what _wasn't_ there, he never bothered to look at what _was_ there.

Hence why he ended up missing the small pink sticky note that was in the far end corner of the drawer; the very place where his pills had been the day before.

The small heart shaped note was hand written and read:

_You've been a very naughty boy Zero…breaking so many rules._

_But don't worry…I'm coming to take back what is mine. _

_I'll be seeing you soon!_

_-Kisses! Ichiru_

* * *

_**And this is when it all starts… ;) just a few chapters left till the part 1 finale! ;D**_


	22. PART 1 Chapter 22

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter twenty two- The Woman in Red**_

* * *

Kaname growled as he stomped into the room and snatched up his still ringing phone off from the table.

"This better be important!" He growled.

"_Kaname? Trust me…it is."_

"Sara?"

"_Yeah, it's me. I have some information that might be of interest to you…It's about Ichiru."_

Kaname immediately stiffened.

"Talk." He barked tersely.

"_Well remember that time you came in asking about who he was, and I thought you were talking about Zero? Well…there may have been something else. You see when I first hired him, I swore he looked familiar but I couldn't figure out why…then it struck me! That silvery hair, those unusual lilac eyes… I had a hunch, but I couldn't be sure…._

"Sara what are you getting at?"

"_I'm saying that when I hired him I thought he was Ichiru."_

Kaname stilled as his hand tightened around the phone.

"So you're saying you met Ichiru before."

"_Yeah…I think I did. When he was very young. _Sara let out a big sigh. _"Look Kaname, what I'm about to tell you cannot get leaked around okay? It could ruin me! And the only reason I'm telling you this is because you're a long-time valued client."_

Normally Kaname hated to be referred to as such, but this time he was undoubtedly grateful!

"I understand, please tell me everything. This is important."

"_I figured it was…okay. Have you ever heard of a woman named Shizuka Hio?"_

Kaname shook his head even though he knew Sara wouldn't be able to see it.

"No, I can't say I have."

"_Well she's Maria cousin. You remember Maria don't you? Anyway, unlike Maria who had no talent whatsoever on stage, Shizuka was our best dancer. Shizuka…well she was beautiful. She was alluring and the most sought after out of all our patrons! She singlehandedly brought in more than enough income to run the entire place in a single night!"_

"She sounds pretty important…why isn't she still there?"

"_We had to let her go. You see although Beautiful, Shizuka was also dangerous."_

"How dangerous?" Kaname asked, his eyes narrowing, he didn't like the sound of where this was going.

"_Extremely. She may have been just slightly unstable…"_

"Slightly?!"

"_Okay very. Borderline psychotic. And when she full on stabbed the man she was sleeping with, well we just couldn't overlook any more of her incidents."_

"Okay…but what does this all have to with Ichiru?"

"_Ichiru was one of Shizuka's regulars."_

"He was WHAT?!"

* * *

_*Several years earlier*_

_..._

_A woman with long silver hair and dressed in a white and pink Kimono was leaving the establishment through a side door in the alley._

_Lighting up a cigarette, she inhaled deeply before blowing the smoke out into the crisp, cold night's air._

_She was about to be on her way when she bumped into a young boy._

_The woman normally wouldn't have looked twice at some snotty brat, but there was something about this boy that was different._

_Perhaps it was his silver hair; so much like her own that gleamed in the moonlight, or maybe it was his sparkling lilac eyes that seemed to know too much pain for someone of his age._

"_Oh? What's this? A little lost kitten perhaps?" She asked softly as she knelt down on the hard ground and ran her slender fingers across the side of his face._

"_I'm not lost. I was waiting for you." The boy replied calmly._

"_Oh?" The woman asked, her interest piqued._

"_Yes. I saw you leaving here earlier… and I wanted to tell you you're beautiful."_

_Of course the woman heard meaningless compliments like that hundreds of times before, but there was just something about the way the boy had said it with such pure honesty, that she felt her heart catch._

"_But why does someone so beautiful look so sad?" He continued softly._

_Surprised, but refusing to let it show, the woman replied in an icy voice devoid of any emotion._

"_Because the man I once loved is dead." _

_The woman cocked her head to the side and studied the pale youthful face in front of her._

"_And you? Why are you sad little one?"_

"_I'm sad?" The boy asked questionably. _

_It was only then did the boy notice he was crying. He silently ran a finger down one of his tears and stared at it in wonder._

"_I don't know why I'm sad…but I think it's because I hate my brother."_

_The boy's eyes suddenly flashed with anger, and the woman was slightly surprised to see a look of familiar darkness that she had so often seen in herself._

_The woman suddenly laughed loudly, her laughter tinkling in the silent night as it bounced off the narrow walls in the alley._

"_I like you. You're going be my special little customer."_

_The boy beamed, and was not at all disturbed by her sudden change in emotion. If anything, he welcomed it._

"_I'm Ichiru Kiryu!" He said breathlessly._

"_Shizuka Hio." The woman replied as a venomous smile split her face._

…

"_You come here every day and wait hours just to spend a few minutes with me. Do you not get cold little one?" The woman asked as her breath made puffs of white mist in the chilly air._

"_I don't mind. I just like to see you." The boy replied as he leaned against the wall of the alley._

"_Hmm…" The woman studied the small boys frame as he shivered from the cold._

"_Well that just won't do. Come with me, I want you to be able to watch me dance."_

_The woman tugged the boy in through the side entrance, (careful not to let anyone spot him) and he eagerly followed her up to a small room on the second floor. _

"_Maria my dear. I need a mask. Something to hide his youthful face from on lookers."_

"_Sure Shizuka-san!" a younger girl replied as she bustled about the racks of clothing and costumes._

"_Hmm. This will do." Maria replied handing Shizuka a plain but beautiful sleek, white mask. "But you know Sara never really cares if anyone is underage here. Why bother?"_

"_Because…" Purred Shizuka as she bent down to wrap her arms around the boy._

"_He's mine. And I don't want anyone else looking at him."_

…

_Every night, Ichiru would come in dawning his mask, and sit and watch mesmerized as Shizuka danced._

_One could easily see why she was called the best; her movements were fluid and graceful, and every movement of her body seemed to have purpose as she flowed in perfect harmony with the music._

_While so many of the other dancers there relied on stripping or poles, Shizuka was the only one who had no need for any of that. She simply danced. But there was just something about her…and even though she never shed a single article of clothing, every eye in the room was focused solely on her, and one was almost hypnotized by her seductive and erotic dance._

_She played her part of a temptress perfectly, but at the end of every dance, just before the spotlight turned off, Shizuka would look directly at Ichiru and smile, and for Ichiru it felt like the entire dance was just for him_

_Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who noticed._

_Many of the clients took notice of the boy in the front row who always seemed to steal most of Shizuka's attention. And even though the mask covered most his face, it was still somewhat obvious how young he was. That combined with his silver hair, started many rumors between the patrons._

"_Why does she always pay so much attention to that brat?!" _

"_Is he her son?"_

"_Must be! Silver hair like that can only be generic!"_

…

_As the weeks went by, the resentment only grew. Not only for the boy, but for the woman too._

_Patrons, who were paying to spend the night with her, started bringing him up more and more, each one getting angry that she seemed to have a favourite. _

_As gossip continued to circulate, clients started to speculate questions at her, even during bedroom-calls! Shizuka was slowly starting to lose her patients. Then one night….she snapped._

_Shizuka had been in the midst of climbing on top of a man, her silk kimono untied and open, sliding off of her delicate shoulders to reveal her smooth silky skin._

_She leaned down to nibble on the side of his neck, when he suddenly asked._

"_So tell me, what's it feel like being with a real man for a change?"_

_Shizuka abruptly stopped, her eyes narrowing dangerously._

"_And by that you mean?" She asked in a sharp tone._

_The man didn't seem to notice he was treading in deep waters and continued easily._

"_Well you're always looking at that brat. But he obviously can't pleasure you like a real man can." He said cockily, as he raised his head to sloppily kiss her on the lips._

_Shizuka turned away and gave him a cold glare._

"_It's not like that with him." She hadn't even realized her tone had softened till the man spat out angrily._

"_What you love him or something?"_

_Mistakening her silence as an answer, the man turned purple in anger and harshly slapped her across the face._

"_DON'T THINK ABOUT HIM SO FARMILIARLY LIKE THAT WHEN YOU'RE WITH ME! YOU'RE JUST SOME WHORE! YOU'RE IN CAPABLE OF LOVING ANYONE!"_

_Shizuka slowly turned her head to face the man, her eyes ablaze with anger. Then she did something that finally seemed to scare the man into thinking he went too far…she smiled._

_She then leaned down so that her face was inches away from his and whispered seductively in his ear._

"_Oh sweetie you're going to regret that."_

_The man didn't even have a chance to wonder where she managed to pulled out a knife from, before the blade was already plunging deep into his skin._

…

_That night Shizuka was told to leave. Still covered in the warm blood, she emotionlessly left the establishment, ignoring the gaping looks of shock of everyone else in the room._

_She was unsurprised that Ichiru was loyally waiting for her outside, in the same spot he normally did whenever she had to take a customer "upstairs"._

_She didn't bother hiding the blood from him, or make any excuses. Partly because she didn't care, and partly because she wanted to see the young boys reaction._

_She wasn't disappointed when the boy slowly traced a finger down the blood on her cheek. With a dangerous glint in his eyes, he smiled cryptically and said_

"_You look beautiful in red."_

_..._

* * *

_*present day*_

"So you're saying they just disappeared after that?!"

"_Well no one's' really knows what happened for sure, but there were rumors that they ran off together."_

Kaname sighed as he ran a hand across his face.

"I don't get it! She goes and kills a man, and you don't even tell anyone!"

"_Well what did you expect me to do?! My business is questionable enough as it is. I don't need any law enforcements poking around. Besides. Shizuka was my best worker…I felt like I owed her."_

"So you covered it all up for her?"

"_Yes."_

"Did you ever see her again?"

"_Hmm…well I can't say for sure it was really her, but one day I thought I saw her long silver hair in passing as a woman was crossing a distant bridge. But the woman I saw was holding a paraplouii over her head, so it was hard to see her face. She had been walking with a man on her arm with the same silver hair Zero had. But by the time I chased over to them, they were gone."_

"How long ago was this?"

"_About a year ago."_

"You were looking for her." Kaname noted wisely.

Sara paused on the other line before sighing.

"_Fine. Yes I was. No matter what she did, she was still my best dancer and the club hasn't been making nearly enough money as it did before she left. I was thinking I may have been too hasty."_

"So then when you hired Zero…"

"_I thought he would be the missing link to get to Shizuka." _Sara finished_. "He had that same silver hair and lilac gaze I was sure it was Ichiru! He told me his name was Zero, but I thought he was just using some sort of fake name. I kept making hints about Shizuka but he never reacted. Finally on the night of the masquerade I put him in the same mask Ichiru had always worn, and they truly looked identical! But when he still showed no recognition I figured I must have made a mistake and caught the wrong person."_

Kaname groaned in frustration. This was getting him nowhere!

"Well if Maria was her cousin why didn't you just try tracking her down through her?"

"_Believe me, I tried! But Maria insisted she had no idea where Shizuka was. Apparently they lost contact the day she left, and she hasn't spoken to her since."_

"Did you ever think she might be lying?"

"_Of course! But no matter what connections I've used, I've never been able to pry an address from the girl! I've even had her followed several times and still nothing. What can I say…I've trained my girls well."_

"Well can I come over to talk to Maria myself then?"

"_Look." _Sarah huffed. _"I've been searching for Shizuka for years. If Maria did know of her location, there's no way she'd slip up and say anything. She's too smart for that."_

"She may not say anything about Shizuka…but there's a chance she'll know something about Ichiru." Kaname replied confidently.

Sara was quiet on the other line and seemed to be debating her answer before practically purring into the phone.

"_Now Kaname. You know I can't risk you questioning one of my girls…but if you really want to win me over…"_

Kaname ground his teeth in annoyance. "Fine. I'll bring you 6 new clients."

"_10."_

"8."

"_Deal. But Kaname…there's a much easier way to get what you want from me…" _She whispered huskily.

"No. I told you I don't do that stuff anymore."

"_Suit yourself. Alright you can come down and talk to Maria but it'll have to wait till later."_

"Why?!" Kaname growled, losing his last bit of patience.

"_Because she went on her break and she won't be back for a couple hours."_

"Fine!" Not waiting to hear her response, Kaname hung up the phone before angrily throwing it down where it bounced off his bed.

Seeing as how he was still standing naked, he decided a shower would help cool him off.

As he stepped into the tub and let the hot steam soothe his body, Kaname mulled over the new possibilities.

It was highly likely that Maria knew where Shizuka was, and wherever Shizuka was, Ichiru was most likely with her.

Closing his eyes Kaname rested his head against the cool tiles on the wall.

"_It's not fair! Zero had just finally stopped looking over his shoulder every second, and now that things are finally starting to settle down, Ichiru just has to go and threaten to ruin that!"_

Kaname hadn't told Zero this; but he had never stop looking for Ichiru. He continued to look for clues and used all of his resources in trying to find out where he was.

His plan was simple: To find Ichiru before Ichiru found Zero.

Kaname had been keeping all of this from the silverette as not to worry or frighten him, but now he was starting to feel slightly guilty.

"_Maybe I should tell Zero… I mean, he deserves to know if Ichiru is hanging around Maria doesn't he? But then again, what's the likelihood of him meeting up with Maria anyway? It's not like he has any plans of hanging out with her anytime soon."_

Kaname and Zero had both promised to stay clear of Sara's club. And although Kaname was feeling slightly bad for going to have to go back on his word and visit the club once more, he was doing it for Zero's sake, and that in itself was enough to get him feeling pumped with determination once more.

Feeling refreshed now that his head was slightly clear, Kaname turned off the water and stepped out of the shower.

As he dressed in a pair of black slacks and a button down shirt, he suddenly realized with a pang that he had left Zero alone after the morning after the passionate night together!

Feeling like a jerk, he hurriedly left the room, not even bothering to dry his hair.

As he walked back into the guest room (for the most part now being referred to as "Zero's Room") He was surprised to see Zero wasn't there.

Kaname tried to calm his racing heart, and reasoned with himself that Zero had probably just gone down to the kitchen to get something to eat, and that there was no reason for him to leave.

Kaname moved to leave the room but then eyed the contents of Zero's school bag all over the floor suspiciously.

"_Was he looking for something?" _He wondered as took note of the way the nightstand had been haphazardly left open, as if forgotten about in haste.

Moving to take a closer look in the drawer, he frowned as a little scrap of pink paper caught his eye…

* * *

Zero checked the address on his phone to make sure he was at the right place. He was slightly surprised to find himself standing on the other part of town, in front of a mansion as big as Kaname's!

Hesitantly, he knocked on the door, and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when Maria opened it.

"Hey Zero! Good to see you again, come on in, there's someone I want you to meet."

Zero nodded stiffly, not really in the mood for small talk. He just wanted to get his pills and go.

Seeing his hesitance, Maria took hold of his arm and pulled him in. "It'll just take a second!" She exclaimed as the door clicked shut behind him.

"Zero, I want you to meet my Cousin Shizuka." She said smiling creepily as a beautiful woman made her entrance down the stairs.

The woman had long silver hair and plump scarlet red lips. She was wearing a blood red Kimono, and Zero felt a chill run up his spine for reasons he couldn't quite understand.

The woman sauntered forward, her hips swaying seductively as she leant forward and cupped Zero's face in her hands.

"Hmmm…you're right. They do look alike."

Zero suddenly froze, alarm bells ringing off in his head.

"Look alike to whom?" He whispered uncertainly.

She just smiled cruelly. And whispered "Oh honey I think you know…"

Zero suddenly didn't care about whether or Maria had his pills or not, he wanted to get out of there NOW.

"Look Maria, if you don't have my pills its fine, I really have to go so-"

Zero backed up slowly trying to make his way to the door but froze when he felt an all too-familiar hand curl tightly around his shoulder.

"Now now… leaving so soon Zero-nii?"

Zero gulped in horror. His knees felt weak with dread as he turned around to face the cold lilac eyes he feared so much.

"Ichiru."

* * *

_**I am still on my update kick! ;) I don't think I've ever written so many updates in such a short amount of time, but I'm in the middle of writing the next chapter so hopefully the showdown you've all been waiting for will be posted soon! :D**_


	23. PART 1 Chapter 23

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter twenty three- SHOWDOWN!**_

* * *

"Ichiru."

Ichiru took one step forward and slapped Zero so hard he fell to the ground.

"A month a part from me and you've already forgotten how to address me?" He snarled maliciously.

Zero gasped and immediately assumed a submissive position: on his knees with his head down.

"I meant master! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Shizuka clapped loudly behind him. "Very good love, you've trained him well."

Ichiru seemed to soak up the praise before turning his attention back on to the cowering silverette on the floor.

"Looking for these?" Ichiru asked with a smile as he held up a bottle filled with his precious white pills.

Zero just gaped, and was frozen to the spot with fear; His heart thumping loudly in his chest.

Zero watched in pure dismay as Ichiru slowly tipped the bottle so the pills scattered onto the floor, and then brought the heel of his boot down to stomp on them.

Zero couldn't quite choke back a gasp as he watched the last of his medicine; the only sure thing keeping him alive, dissolve into a fine powdery dust.

Ichiru just laughed at Zero's devastated expression.

"Come now Zero! Don't look so surprised. It's not like you're going to need them when I'm done with you."

Tears were gathering in Zero's eyes and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

"How? How did you get them?!" Zero asked stunned.

Ichiru just laughed as he sent a strong kick to Zero's stomach, leaving him coughing and gasping for air.

"How? Oh Zero you are too naive! How did you think? I went into your precious Kaname's house and stole them. Right. Under. Your. Nose."

He cackled again and sent another forceful kick, enjoying the look of pain he had missed so much that crossed Zero's face.

"Did you really think I didn't know exactly where you were and who you were with? Oh no my dear brother. I was watching you the whole time. Waiting for you to get just cozy enough that when you finally thought you were safe…I would swoop down and rip you from your little world. Just think…all those times when you thought you were alone, I could've came and taken you back! Or better still; think about all the opportunities I've had to kill your precious little Kaname!"

The torturous guilt on Zero's face was priceless, and Ichiru couldn't stop the wide smile from spreading across his face.

"But I'd be more worried about what I'm going to do with you now. After all, you've broken every single rule on the list haven't you?" He grinned sadistically as Zero lay trembling in fear on the ground.

"Now should I punish you?" He asked while mockingly tapping his finger to his chin as if deep in thought.

"Of course I could kill you right now…but that would be the easy way out. No…by the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging for death!"

His eyes gleamed dangerously as Zero felt his throat go dry.

"Hmm, now what should I do first? Should I peel off all your skin and wait till you bleed out? No… If I did that you'll lose all the lovely marks I've given you over the years. I could tear you apart slowly: Limb by limb! But somehow even that won't be satisfying enough…"

Zero felt sick, and for the first time in his life he actually had no hope he would come back alive after all this. He felt truly frightened that his last few moments on earth would be gone before he even got the chance to say goodbye to Kaname.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by Ichiru's manic laughter.

"THAT FACE! OH GOD THAT FACE IS PERFECT! That right there; is the very reason I let you regain a little shred of hope…because it's so much more satisfying watching you realize it was all for nothing! There is no hope for you Zero! You're a lost cause. And it's going to be that much more fun getting to break you all over again."

Ichiru finished his speech by giving him another kick to his gut, and this time Zero did get sick. Throwing up whatever contents he had in his stomach along with the coppery taste of blood.

He dizzily remembered Maria leaving the room, and Shizuka walking forward so that she was placed strategically behind his brother.

"W-why?" Zero gasped.

As soon as he caught sight of Ichiru narrowing his eyes, he knew it was the wrong thing to do. And a month ago, he wouldn't have dared to ever voice a question to his twin. But now; with the last of his hopes dwindling, he had to know.

"YOU'RE QUESTIONING ME?! DID YOU FORGET YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO QUESTION ME! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT AS A HUMAN BEING! YOU'RE PATHETIC AND WEAK! YOU'RE NOTHING! AND HOW DARE YOU ASK A QUESTION YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO!" Ichiru roared as he punched Zero in the face again and again. Zero felt his jaw crack by the impact, and he was sure his entire face was soon going to be swollen and red.

Zero flinched as the punches suddenly stopped. He could only imagine that now that Ichiru had most likely finished "warming up" whatever was coming would be way, way worse.

"You want to know what you did to get me to hate you? You. Were. Born."

Ichiru's cold voice punctuated each word and Zero's fears were only confirmed when Ichiru crouched down and Yanked Zero's head up by his hair. Zero felt the cold feel of steel on his face, but it wasn't that of a blade.

For one horrible second, he forgot how to breathe as Ichiru used the barrel of a gun to brush a wisp of hair from Zero's face.

"Ne Zero-nii…you want to know a secret? I've always hated you. Even before mom and dad died. They always favored you over me…They always loved you more! You ruined my life by simply existing!"

Zero had no idea Ichiru had felt hat way, but he didn't have time to dwell over the malicious words being whispered to him since Ichiru's hand tightened on the gun, and his hands suddenly trembled in anger.

"… And then…just when they were finally making plans to send you away…YOU JUST HAD TO GO AND KILL THEM DIDN'T YOU?! I HATE YOU! AND I HATE THEM TOO! YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT MOM'S LAST WORDS WERE? IT WAS YOUR NAME! YOUR FUCKING NAME! EVEN THOUGH I WAS THE ONE STANDING IN FRONT OF HER CRYING FOR HER WHILE YOU JUST STOOD FROM YOUR SPOT NOT DOING A THING! YOU WENT AND KILLED THEM, AND THEY WERE STILL ASKING FOR YOU! WELL DAMN THEM! I HOPE THEY'RE ROTTING IN HELL RIGHTNOW! THEY DESERVED TO DIE! JUST LIKE YOU DO!" Ichiru screamed.

As if in slow motion, Ichiru cocked the gun.

Too in-shock to fully process what it was Ichiru had been saying; Zero clenched his eyes shut as he waited for the evitable to come.

For a second no one breathed. And as Zero slowly opened one of his eyes, it was to Ichiru smiling down at him.

"Zero, didn't I tell you I wasn't going to make it so easy on you? Don't worry. I won't kill you…yet."

He then slammed the gun across his face and Zero crashed to the floor with the force of the impact. He almost blacked out, but managed to stay conscious. Everything was blurry and he knew he was bleeding heavily from his head. Zero could barely sit up, but he managed to make out the blurry figures of Ichiru turning to look at Shizuka with a sick look of fascination.

"Shizu-chan how many places do you think I could shoot him with before it kills him?"

"Hmm...I'm not sure my love…why don't you try and find out?"

Zero stared wide eyes as Ichiru turned to look at him with a stone cold glint in his eyes.

"I want to make him my broken doll."

And in that moment, even though they had the identical face, Zero had never been so sure in his life that the person in front of him wasn't his brother…he was a monster.

He watched in disgust as Shizuka wrapped her arms around him and started kissing his neck seductively

"This is what you've been waiting for. Now, let's paint your brother in a brilliant shade of red."

Ichiru nodded and Zero could do nothing but watch in horror as Ichiru took aim and pulled the trigger…

_BANG!_

Zero screamed as he felt a searing pain through his leg. Even with all the torture Ichiru had put him through over the years, nothing could compare to the white hot flashes of agony that flowed through his body! He writhed on the ground clutching at his leg that was now bleeding heavily on to the ground as Ichiru cheered in the background.

"A shot to the leg for running awayyyyy!" Ichiru sing-songed gleefully as he re-loaded the gun and once again took aim.

"You know…" He drawled out slowly "The only reason I've kept you around is for a source of entertainment. But soon you won't even be good for that anymore…"

He let the gunshot finish his sentence as he once again pulled the trigger.

Zero cried out and tears poured from his face as the bullet this time lodged itself in his shoulder.

"Please! Please!" Sobbed Zero through the torturous pain.

"Oh? Begging so soon?" Ichiru asked with a twisted smile as he sauntered forward.

"Look at you. Pathetic!" He spat. "Face it, I could end your misery right now and no one would give a second thought."

The last time Ichiru had said something like that Zero had believed it. But this, time, as he shut his eyes from the onslaught of pain… he pictured that tousled brunette hair, that milky pure skin, those soul searching eyes, and that concerned face of the one person who was constantly telling him he wasn't worthless!

Opening his eyes again, Zero used the last of his willpower to meet Ichiru's eyes.

"Kaname would!"

Ichiru seemed taken aback that Zero hadn't agreed right away, before a smile curled at his lips again.

"Oh he would, would he? You can't possibly be serious! Did you really think someone like you deserved to be loved? Don't tell me you actually believed that someone… loved you!" He burst out laughing at the absurd idea while Zero seemed to shrink into himself. "Oh wait! Don't tell me! You love him!" He grinned mockingly. Seeing Zero's expression only egged him on further. "You do! Oh how priceless! This is too much! You're even more deluded than I thought!" He doubled over laughing, clutching his stomach while wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

Zero meanwhile let his own eyes fall downcast as they became blurry with a different type of tears.

"_Is Ichiru right? Is it truly impossible for anyone to love me?"_

Sensing Zero's depressing thoughts, a cruel smile tugged at Ichiru's lips.

"Hmm...Well I suppose I could be nice and just put an end to your insignificant life right now… But, only if you beg." He said smirkingly.

"I'm waiting. Beg for me Zero. It's nothing new for you. Beg for me to kill you. Beg for you to die."

Zero gulped and let his head fall forward as he slumped in defeat.

"_There's no point is there? My pills are crushed, and Ichiru is going to torture me endlessly before he finally kills me in the worst possible way. Maybe it would be easier to just end it all now."_

Bowing in resolution Zero opened his mouth to speak brokenly.

"Please….kill…me."

"Oh I think you can do better than that onii-sama." Ichiru said dismissively as he polished the gun with the hem of his shirt.

The pain; previously forgotten from his 2 gunshot wounds now seemed to pound with vengeance. Travelling up his spine and penetrated his brain in flashes of white hot agony. Zero just couldn't take it anymore.

"Please. I'm begging you…kill me!" Panted Zero as he struggled to stay lucid.

Ichiru twirled the gun in his hand leisurely while pretending to think of an answer.

"Well since you asked soooo nicely, my answer is…..Nope! I haven't finished playing with you yet!" He then stepped forward and dug his hand mercilessly in Zero's bleeding shoulder enticing a strangled cry from his hoarse mouth.

Zero 's stomach twisted in repulsion as Ichiru slowly brought his bloody fingertips to his lips and slowly licked the red off till his lips were dripping with Zero's own blood.

The twin then turned to look back at Shizuka who had a predatory glint in her eyes.

"I always loved the color red on you." She whispered huskily.

Zero tried not to gag as she pulled Ichiru into a passionate kiss licking off the rest of the blood from his lips.

In the next moment, several things happened at once.

* * *

The door suddenly burst open, and Kaname came storming in; a look of murder on his face.

Ichiru; startled by the sudden noise, spun around with lightning fast speed, aimed the gun at Zero's heart, and pulled the trigger at the exact same time Kaname shoved Zero out of the way.

The gunshot echoed louder than the first few times it was shot, and Zero could only watch in horror as Kaname crumbled to the floor.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! KANAME! KANAME!" Yelled Zero as he ignored the pain in his leg and desperately tried to crawl over to him.

Kaname moaned but his eyes fluttered open as they scanned the room to locate Zero.

Seeing him beside him, Kaname stretched out his hand and Zero clutched it desperately

"Zero! Are…you...okay?" Kaname gasped out painfully.

"I'm fine! Are you?" Zero asked breathlessly.

"Fine." He nodded.

Both were clearly not fine, since both had been shot, but neither person was currently worrying about heir own wounds at the moment.

Zero stared into Kaname's eyes, not quite believing he had not only found him, but gone as far as to take a bullet for him!

"How'd you know to come?" Zero asked in awe.

"Well when I found ichiru's note and got your text I put two and two together and figured you might be in trouble. That's why I called the DC to come too…just in case we need backup. They should be here any minute." Kaname said softly, as he stroked Zero's knuckle.

The two were broken out of their hushed conversation witch Ichiru applauding loudly.

"My, my this is even better than what I had planned! Zero what better punishment than killing the one you love right in front of your eyes?"

"_Love?" Kaname's head snapped up as he tried to lock eyes with Zero. Wanting to believe it, but not sure if Ichiru was just toying with him._

But Zero wasn't looking at him; he was too busy staring at Ichiru. Pure terror seeped into his bones as Zero realized that he was serious… Ichiru was going to kill Kaname!

* * *

Before Ichiru could say another word, the door was thrown open once more and Takuma ran in.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! WE'VE CALLED 911 AND THEY'LL BE HERE SHORTLY! NOW GET AWAY FROM THEM!" Yelled Takuma furiously. He wasn't sure what was going on but he was worried. He had gotten Kaname's panicked message and come right away to the address forwarded. He had been close by when he heard a gunshot.

The rest of the DC members were piling in right behind him, also receiving Kaname's messages and intending to rush forward to help.

Takuma's panic only increased as he spotted the large amounts of blood on the floor.

When his eyes finally landed on what looked like the two teens bleeding on the ground further into the house, he completely lost it, and tried to run to their side.

However, before he could take even one step closer, he suddenly found a long gleaming Kanata pointed at his throat.

Eyes wide with shock, the blonde turned to face a smiling woman with long silver hair approaching him leisurely.

"Now now, this is a fight between brothers and I would ask that you don't interfere." She said sweetly, moving the blade just forward enough to cut the first layer of skin to prove her point.

If she expected Takuma to run cowardly, she was sadly mistaken. The blonde turned his ferocious eyes on her ready to chew her out, but before he got the chance, Aido beat him to it, also seeing the splatters of blood on the floor.

"To hell with that! We're going to freaking murder him!" Shizuka glanced behind him curiously to the shorter teen shaking with rage, piercing blue eyes brimming with hatred.

Shizuka smirked in amusement. "Oh and what can you do?"

"Don't let appearances fool you! We're experts in all forms of martial arts in self-defense!" Yelled Takuma as he twisted around the blade and sent a kick to her arm with just enough force to send the blade clattering to the floor.

The DC circled around her intimidatingly, all willing to back Takuma up as the same thought racked their minds: "_How dare this woman let him hurt our friends!"_

Hiding her surprise at the movement, Shizuka merely smiled wider.

"Oh then this should be fun. Come. I will be your opponent."

Ruka scoffed smugly, "you think you can take us all on?" She asked menacingly.

Shizuka merely laughed her chime-like laugh, the sound bouncing off the walls loudly in the intense silence.

"Why don't you come find out? But you should know… I've been the one providing my little Ichi with toys all these years and there's certainly more than one weapon hidden in this house." She then reached into the folds of her kimono and pulled out several sharp knives "… Not to mention the weapons concealed in my clothing…" She smiled back with a menacing look of her own before purring lowly. "Now show me how much your little friends mean to you."

The DC didn't have to be told twice and charged at her, fully intending to get to Zero and Kaname by any means necessary!

* * *

While they were busy fighting off Shizuka, Ichiru was still smiling down at Zero. Both were intensely focused on the other, and completely ignorant to the commotion going on behind them.

"You see Zero it would be all too easy for me to pull the trigger and blow the head off of your little 'accomplish' here. But you see… You're the murderer not me. So I think it would only be fair if you were the one pulling the trigger…don't you?"

Zero watched in pure fear, as Ichiru's arms snaked around him, grabbing his hands, and forcefully pulling them on to the gun.

Zero shook his head and tried desperately to pry his shaking hands off of the gun, but Ichiru was too strong. He firmly held Zero's hands under his own and made him put the finger on the trigger

"Come now Zero. Watch carefully as you once again kill someone like the murderer you are!"

Shaking his head desperately Zero watched in panic and fear as Kaname locked eyes with him and gave him a final look as if to say "Don't worry Zero, I don't blame you." before closing his eyes and resigning himself to his fate.

And it was that very look of acceptance that finally drove Zero to do the one thing he never imagined doing…fight back!

"NO!" He yelled out while using his good arm to elbow Ichiru in the gut, stunning him momentarily, and long enough to knock the gun out of his hand.

Not expecting the move, the gun went sliding across the floor as Zero rolled on top of Ichiru punching and wrestling him to the ground!

Zero's shoulder was screaming with pain and his leg had already gone numb but none of that mattered at the moment. The only thing he cared about was getting that gun as far away from them as possible! Everything Zero had always been holding back against Ichiru suddenly came through in a burst of adrenaline, and Zero found himself on top of Ichiru with his hands curled tightly around his neck. For a split second, a look of fear crossed Ichiru's eyes, before it was placed with cold-blooded fury.

Whatever Strength Zero had felt instantly dissolved with that one withering look, and Ichiru easily pushed Zero off of him. Grabbing the collar of his shirt he lifting it towards him and asked,

"Did you really think that was going to work?! Did you really think you would be able to kill me Zero!? You are so weak! Don't ever forget, I own you."

Ichiru didn't get to finish whatever he wanted to say because the sound of a gun cocking stilled them both. Zero turned to see with the look of relief; Kaname had managed to get a hold of the gun and was now aiming it towards Ichiru!

Ichiru's eyes went wide for second before he looked at Zero with an inward smirk, and then turned to look back at Kaname with eyes wide with fear.

"Kaname don't shoot it's me he's trying to trick you!"

Zero snapped his head to look at Ichiru with disbelief but then to his dismay realized that they were, looking incredibly alike at the moment. Both their hair was messy and rumpled, and they're clothes were shredded. But the worse thing had to be that they were both completely drenched in Zero's blood! There was more than enough to hide his tattoo, and even so much that it was impossible to tell which one was bearing the bullet wounds! In all honestly, it was extremely hard to tell them apart.

"Kaname don't believe him it's me!" Zero cried desperately locking eyes with Kaname and trying to convey his inner feelings to him.

Seeing Kaname's frozen expression back to him, Zero couldn't understand why it was so hard to believe him until he turned to give a side glance at Ichiru. He couldn't believe his eyes! Ichiru had tears streaming down his face! How he had managed to prefect such acting, Zero would never know,

"_So he's showing some crocodile tears, fine! But I still have a chance to convince Kaname! After all, I had been crying too!"_ Zero thought with determination.

Suddenly, he brightened as he knew the perfect thing he could say to convey all his feelings for Kaname and once and for all convince him who the real Zero was!

He opened his mouth to speak, but unfortunately Ichiru beat him to the punch.

"Kaname! Please believe me! It's Zero! I've opened up more to you than anyone else I've ever known! I've shared my deepest secrets and my biggest shames with you. After everything we've been through…please tell me you can tell that it's me! Because Kaname…I couldn't die without first telling you how I feel. The truth is…I- I love you!"

Zero's jaw dropped and bafflement.

"_How was it possible for Ichiru to not only have the exact same idea as me, but literally steal my speech?!"_

Zero could only imagine this was the unfortunate "gift" of being twins. He was apparently too easy to read.

The last of his hopes were dashed as he understood there was nothing he could say to beat that. And he loathed to admit it, but if he himself wasn't sure that he was in fact the real Zero, he would have believed it was the silverhead standing beside him. And that scared him even more than any gun ever could.

With tears gathering in his eyes, he could only stare at Kaname and watch the wide range of emotions flickering behind his eyes as he tried to catch any form of recognition from him.

* * *

Kaname couldn't believe what he was seeing. And although he was trying his best to keep a straight face, his heart was pounding and he was undoubtedly afraid he was about to make the wrong decision!

He had been so sure he had been pointing the gun at Ichiru…but that voice! Those tears! That speech!

"_He said he loves me!"_

Kaname had never felt such a mix of happiness and anger the moment those words were uttered in all of his life!

He could have been brimming with warmth if the confession was in fact from his Zero, and yet he could also be completely consumed with stone cold fury if it was from Ichiru! For that meant, he had just carelessly thrown the confession around like it meant nothing!

It was all too convincing! And for a second, his gun wavered slightly in the air between them.

Taking a deep breath, Kaname closed his eyes and thought back to the picture he had found of the two twins holding hands, and how at the time he had been so upset that he couldn't tell them apart.

"_But they're not kids anymore, and this isn't a picture. They're 2 separate, living, breathing people with 2 separate personalities. And there's no way I could ever mistake my Zero as someone else! He's one in a million."_

With those thoughts in mind, Kaname opened his eyes and turned to stare back at the two silverhead's one final time. And he just knew. Without another hesitation he spoke calmly, looking directly at the person on the right. "Of course I can tell it's you."

He pulled the trigger.

* * *

**_Just on a side note, If you're ever confused on how something's are possible based on the dialogue, well just remember that whatever is happening is portrayed through a certain character's eyes, so it's what they believe and what their thoughts are at the time. In other words, you can't always trust what the characters are saying. For instance…they could easily be lying…. ;) *cough-cough* Ichiru saying he got into their house... ;)_**


	24. PART 1 Chapter 24

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter twenty four- the SHOWDOWN part2**_

* * *

Zero was trying not to hyperventilate, but after seeing Kaname's cold eyes descend upon him, as he spoke those last words to the person_ beside _him….well he had a feeling Kaname had made his decision.

"_Kaname, a few minutes ago you thought I was going to shoot you, and you accepted that. So if you can be calm in the face of death, then so will I. I'd rather die by your hands then by Ichiru's any day."_

And with that final though, Zero gave Kaname what he hoped was a reassuring look of forgiveness, and closed his eyes to resign to the choice Kaname had made.

_BANG!_

Zero gaped as Ichiru fell down beside him. For one horrible second he actually believed Kaname was going to shoot him! He couldn't hold back his smile as tears of relief streamed down his face.

Ichiru gasped and choked on the floor as he clutched his bleeding abdomen. A look of shock and disbelief on his face

"H-How?!" Ichiru he stammered.

"Did I not say I knew it was you?" Kaname asked coldly.

With effort the brunette stood up straighter, swaying slightly before managing to walk over to where Ichiru was laying so that he was looming over him.

"You may look like him, and you may try to talk like him… but you, with your cold eyes; devoid of any feeling, could NEVER be my Zero."

He then cocked gun one more time and leaned down so that it was pressed against Ichiru's forehead, enjoying how the cockiness on his face was quickly replaced with a wide-eyed look of fear.

"You know, if it was up to me, I would love to put you through every single torture that you ever put Zero through! But then that would make me just like you. And so for Zero's sake, let's end this now."

Without wasting another second to hear whatever last words Ichiru would have had, Kaname pulled the trigger and watched with satisfaction as warm blood splattered across the floor and his face.

A loud ear-shattering scream suddenly ripped across the room, but it was not Ichiru who had made the noise.

* * *

Shizuka had been having fun. It was all just another dance to her, as she expertly twisted, her body from the on slay of attacks, somehow managing to still look graceful as she parried, defended and attacked all at the same time. Moving perfectly in synch with all 6 of her opponents. Even so greatly outnumbered, it was clear that it was them who were at the disadvantage.

Spinning smoothly from the fist being sent her way, she then flipped over the body of the lithe frame coming at her.

It was almost too easy.

Dodging a forceful slash from the Kanata she had dropped earlier, it seemed the blonde was able to wield it pretty well. Not even half as well as her…but still, she supposed she could give him credit.

In fact, if she was going to be nice, she supposed they all were quite skilled, if simply for the fact that they had managed to keep up with her.

Although each member had varied in different forms of fight, they all worked well together, and she had to admit she was almost enjoying herself. It had been a while since she had someone to spar with.

That being said, she had decided to grant them all a favor and not kill them. Even though she had plenty of opportunities to do so. Even now, she shook her head lightly and 'tsked' to herself as she saw the number of openings each one had given her.

"_Sloppy Sloppy."_ She thought disappointedly, She had been about to point out some of the flaws in their techniques when she happened to glance up and suddenly see the brunette sending a bullet through her beloved's body.

She froze, and felt her blood run cold. Suddenly nothing else mattered to her, as a sudden voice seemed to take over her entire being.

"_KILL!"_

No longer holding back, she let out a loud anguished wail as she pulled out one of her prized possessions from a hidden holster on her inner thigh.

Once a dancing fan, it had been turned into the ultimate weapon. Each fold of the fan made of a material stronger than steel, and so razor sharp it could cut through a tree with a single swipe.

No longer holding back, her movements turned wild as the enraged woman swung wildly and aggressively around the teens who continued to circle around her. She didn't care who she killed at that moment she just had to get over there!

Momentarily stunned by her sudden savage-like behavior , the DC hesitantly backed away after she made a deadly strike that would have taken Shiki's head off had he not accidently tripped and fallen backwards.

That was all the room Shizuka needed to shove past them and run to the now still-corpse of her lover.

Pulling his battered body onto her lap, she stroked his blood matted hair as tears streamed down her face.

"Oh Ichiru. You were the only one who understood me." She leaned down to give one last bloody kiss to the almost unrecognizable face before turning her murderous gaze onto Kaname.

"Mark my words sweetie; you're going to regret that."

She then jumped up and in a twirl only possible from a dancer, somehow managed to avoid the remaining individuals in the room as she sped past them and disappeared up the steps to the second floor.

* * *

Not sure what to think after witnessing such a scene, Takuma hesitantly stepped forward.

"Should we go after her?" He asked, not wanting to let her get away, but also not willing to leave his two friends alone in such deadly conditions.

"Yes!" Kaname snapped. "What are you waiting for?! Go!"

Takuma hesitantly whipped his head in the direction she escaped to, but then turned back to face Kaname and stood his ground firmly.

"Kaname you and Zero are hurt! There are more important things to worry about right now!"

He didn't get to finish saying else as Kaname's glare intensified.

"If we don't stop her now she'll only come back and try to threaten Zero and me! Is that what you want?"

"O-of course not but-"

"Look. You already called 911, and there's nothing you can do until the ambulance gets here anyway."

The DC were obviously unsure, although bruised and hurting themselves, they had immediately planned on chasing her the moment she ran. But as soon as they saw the condition the 2 teens were in, they had no intention of going anywhere. Treating their friends' injuries obviously came above everything else.

"This is ridiculous! If you're not going to go after her, I'll stop her myself!" Growled Kaname as he dizzily pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on.

"No! We'll go! Stay here and try not to aggravate your injuries as you wait for the ambulance to come." Takuma said authoritively.

The rest of the DC could only nod their heads giving one last hesitant look behind them before turning around and running out of the room. Determined on catching the woman who let so much harm come to their friends.

* * *

The moment they were out of the room Kaname no longer felt the need to keep up his facade. The bullet that has gone through his chest had cracked many ribs as well as pierced his lung. He had been having trouble breathing for a while now but managed to get by due to the adrenaline rush that had allowed him to protect his Zero.

But now that Ichiru was dead, Kaname felt his legs gave out from under him as he collapsed to the floor. He hadn't wanted his friends to see him this way which was exactly why he chased them out. The only person he trusted to be weak around was Zero.

Zero had been silent for a while now, most likely in shock from the past events, but the moment Kaname fell to the floor, he gasped in alarm! He tried to rush to his side, before remembering his own injuries, and promptly fell to the side as his legs gave out from under him.

Gritting his teeth through the pain, he used his good leg, and good arm to squirm across the blood stained floor and get to Kaname.

Taking Kaname's hand in his own, he gazed worriedly as the brunette continued to choke out breaths.

"It'll be okay." Zero said soothingly; effectively hiding his worry as Kaname opened his eyes to look at him.

Feeling the warm hand in his own, Kaname managed a half smile and murmured out

"Yeah."

But as he turned a critical eye to the boy lying beside him, he noticed with concern that he also seemed to be worse for wear.

He wanted to ask if Zero was okay, and what exactly had happened before he got there that had made him lose so much blood! He wanted to assure him that everything would be alright, and how he was so glad he had made it in time. He wanted to tell Zero not to feel guilty, that this wasn't his fault and that he would gladly take a dozen more bullets if it meant that Zero would be okay! He wanted to tell him a lot of things. But Kaname could only manage to splutter out the word "Zero…" in hushed whisper in between his labored breathing.

Zero seemed to get the message though, as he gently squeezed his hand tighter.

Kaname was finding it harder and harder to stay awake as the blissful darkness kept trying to pull him under. But there was one thing he still had to know, and he refused to give in till he heard the answer.

"Was… it… true? …Earlier…when...Ichiru… said he…would be… killing…the…one…you… love?... Zero…do…you…love… me?"

Kaname asked excruciatingly slowly. He ended up having to pause halfway to cough up an immense amount of blood, but ignoring Zero's request to save his energy; He finally managed to get the whole sentence out.

Of all the things for Kaname to ask, Zero was not expecting that! He hesitated and considered stalling, but hearing Kaname give another body-shuddering cough, He decided that Kaname had a right to know even if he was going to get rejected.

So gaining the last bit of courage he had, he looked straight into Kaname's eyes and said with the most conviction he could muster:

"Yes. I love you."

Kaname managed to crack his eyes open and sent a warm smile that lit up his entire face to the silverheaded teen beside him.

I love you too."

Zero felt like in the past couple hours, he had cried way more than a person ever should have. And yet a few stray tears still managed to slip out as he heard Kaname's sincere confession.

The last Image Kaname had before succumbing to the darkness; was one of his beloved Zero looking at him with pure affection and love.

Kaname had a faint smile on his face as he closed his eyes and let the cold numbness that had been creeping up on him for a while now slowly pulled him under.

And then… he knew no more.

* * *

With all the adrenaline pumping; feeling Kaname's grip slacken and grow cold in his hand was the last surprise Zero's heart could take.

And as the familiar tightness in his chest started to occur, followed by a burning fire erupting in his heart; Zero found that he really wasn't all that surprised. In fact what was surprising was that he had lasted this long.

Of course there were no pills to save him now. And although He wanted to cry out or scream as the burning, agonizing pain of his attack engulfed his entire body; He instead raised Kaname's hand and brought it to his lips, giving it one last final kiss before he too laid on his back and closed his eyes.

If Kaname was going to go, then he would go with him.

And so he simply waited. Listening to his heartbeat as it slowed down… slowed down…

And then stopped.

_Thump-thump_

_Thump-thump_

_Thump…thump_

_Thump._

_*Silence*_

* * *

_**They both died. The end.**_

_**Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust kidddddddddddddddddinggggggggggggg!**_  
_**I'm not that cruel! Besides, didn't I mention sometime earlier that I'm a sucker for a happy ending?! :P**_  
_**So before you try to kill me, the story is not over yet! There's still one more chapter and then the whole sequel to come! :D**_


	25. PART 1 Chapter 25

**Fallen Angel**

_**Chapter twenty five- His Fallen Angel**_

* * *

The first thing Zero became aware of was the steady beeping of a machine monitoring his heart.

The second thing he registered was the conclusion that he was not in fact as dead as he was so sure he had been earlier. Seeing as how if he was dead, he doubted he would still be feeling the mind-numbing pain that seemed to throb from the base of his skull and continue throughout his body.

The third thing he quickly became aware of was that while he himself was not dead, his brother was.

Thinking of his brother suddenly prompted him to recall the past events, and with a start Zero snapped his eyes open as he finally remembered the most important part!

"_Kaname!" _Zero thought urgently as he tried to sit up.

"_Oh God! Oh God!"_

Pure blind panic flooded his brain as he remembered the last few moments before he blacked out, and how Kaname had grown so still and cold.

His wild thrashing in trying to get up off the bed must have pulled the IV out from him, as he felt a faint stinging in his hand, but Zero didn't dare care about himself at the moment. The only thing that mattered to him was getting off the bed and finding out what happened to Kaname!

Apparently, his frantic movements must've made some sort of noise that alerted the other person in the room of his wakefulness; since he heard the unmistakable sound of a warm chuckle.

Which of course led Zero to his fourth conclusion: that he was not alone in the room like he had first thought.

Stilling his movements, he almost thought he was dreaming when he heard, the familiar silky soothing voice saying

"Don't you think you're a little too eager to be getting off the bed?"

Not wanting to get his hopes up in case it was some sort of hallucination, Zero slowly turned his eyes to the smiling brunette lying in a bed beside him.

"K-Kaname?" He stuttered unsurely.

"I'm here Zero." Kaname replied softly; relief that Zero was also okay, clearly evident behind his eyes.

That was all the reassurance Zero needed to try to scramble out of the bed, intending to fling himself at Kaname and never let him go!

Sadly that was easier said than done with his leg in a thick cast that he was just now noticing.

Kaname obviously felt the same way, as he stubbornly tried to get up despite his heavily bandaged chest, or breathing tube down his nose and attached to the ventilator by his side

Zero must've noticed that Kaname wasn't one hundred percent okay, for his eyes suddenly softened and he stopped trying to get off the bed.

"You hurt." He stated sadly.

Kaname just gave him a wry smile in return.

"So are you."

"But you were never meant to get hurt!"

"Zero…"

"Kaname!"

"If you start saying that this was all your fault, injuries or not I will come over there and smack you!" Joked Kaname.

Zero automatically winced and Kaname quickly realized his mistake.

"Sorry. Too soon. You know I would never hurt you right?" Kaname asked as his eyes desperately pleaded for forgiveness.

"Are you serious?! You took a bullet for me! Of course I know that!" Zero exclaimed incredulously with eyes shining with affection.

Kaname breathed a sigh of relief before looking serious once more.

"Honestly Zero. I'm fine. I'm alive aren't I?"

"Yeah…and so am I. How is that even possible by the way?"

"The ambulance got here just in time." Kaname replied.

"But my pills…?"

"I believe I can explain that." Stated a new voice from the room. Startled, Zero looked up to see a doctor in a white lab coat holding a clipboard and gazing down at him with kind eyes and a faint smile on his face.

"You pushed the called button!" Zero accused a sheepish looking Kaname.

"It's been 2 weeks since you've been asleep Zero, I've been worried! I just want to make sure you're okay." Kaname said apologetically.

"2 WEEKS?!" Zero exclaimed in shock.

"Oh don't let him get you worked up; Kaname himself only awoke a few days ago." Smiled the doctor.

Now gathering both patients attention he cleared his throat.

"Good evening Kiryu-kun, my name is Dr. Carter. I know I'm not the usual doctor you're used to seeing, since you visit the hospital so regularly, but I work specifically for the Kurans and have been asked to include you as one of their family members."

Zero blushed and fiddled with the corner of his blanket. He had a suspicious feeling he knew exactly who it was that put him up to this.

Remembering his earlier question he looked to the doctor and curiously waited for his explanation.

"In accordance to your pills, well apparently a couple years ago you had called in to make the request of acquiring some new ones."

Zero nodded remembering that it was one of the times Ichiru had taken away his pills as a punishment, and was the first time he had pleaded with the doctors to provide him with more.

"Well…" The doctor continued, " despite what they told you about it going to take some time, they did take your request seriously and they had been in the process of manufacturing you some new ones this entire time. It just so happened that they were finally ready to be picked up just in time to administer to you and save your life that very same day! You are an incredibly lucky individual Zero." The doctor concluded.

A while ago, Zero would have scoffed at such a statement and gone on a tangent on how horrible his life really was. But now, with Kaname alive beside him, he realized he was lucky. He had more than he could ever ask for with Kaname simply returning his love.

Kaname must've been thinking the same thing as they both locked eyes and shared a secret smile.

The doctor oblivious, continued with his musings. "Your friends have been here every day by the way, along with a flustered man in glasses who was constantly crying over you. They caused quite a ruckus each night at the end of visiting hours, begging and threatening us to stay, but I finally managed to chase them out!"

The thought of a hysterical Cross, and pouting Aido refusing to leave caused Kaname and Zero to let out a light chuckle.

The doctor smiled to himself, pleased that these 2 young teens who had been through such a terrible ordeal could still find reason to smile. He continued lightly, wagging a finger in a mock-scold.

"Now, don't let my hard work go to waste! You two both clearly need to get some rest. I'll do a quick check up on you now, and then be back to check on you later. You should be feeling sore for a while, and slight pain is normal, but please don't hesitate to push the button and call for any of the nurses or myself if there are any problems or if the pain becomes unbearable."

Nodding at his instructions, Zero let the doctor follow through with his procedures, and then watched as he did the same thing to Kaname.

Before the doctor took his leave, he asked if there were any last requests.

Being so close to Kaname but not being able to hold him was torturous, and Zero flushed scarlet as he thought of one thing he desperately wanted to ask but was too embarrassed to voice aloud.

But after promising to himself that now that Ichiru wasn't around, he was no longer going to hold his thoughts back, Zero beckoned the doctor to come closer.

Seeing his expression, the doctor amusedly bent down and listened to Zero's whispered request.

Biting his lip to hide a smile, the doctor nodded with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, I suppose that could be arranged."

* * *

A few minutes later, 2 nurses had come in and helped successfully push the 2 sick beds together to form one bigger one.

Currently, that was where Zero and Kaname were lying. Side by side, with their hands intertwined together.

Zero was resting his head on his shoulder as Kaname pressed a light kiss to the top of his hair.

"Hey Kaname…?" Zero asked after some time. "How is it possible were allowed to even be in the same room?"

Kaname blushed lightly

"I may have pulled a few strings… the minute I woke up in a room without you, I made specific instructions not to leave your side at any costs."

Zero smiled faintly as a yawn escaped his lips.

"As expected from the great Kaname Kuran." He teased lightly.

"Of course! Did you expect anything less?" Kaname asked playfully as he pulled Zero close.

Zero didn't know how it was possible to feel so tired after sleeping for 2 weeks, but he was finding it increasingly hard to keep his eyes open.

Kaname seemed to notice his weariness, and encouraged him to snuggle against him further, as Zero buried his face in the crook of his neck.

"You know," Zero stated sleepily. "I never got the chance to thank you. Not just for saving me, but for everything. I know I wasn't the easiest person to be around, but you never gave up on me." Zero looked up at Kaname with affection shining in his eyes as he leaned up to a press a soft fulfilling kiss to his lips.

When Zero pulled back to once again rest against him, Kaname gently stroked the side of his face.

"I could never give up on you. The moment I saw you, I just knew. You were an angel who somehow managed to fall into my life."

Not hearing a response back, Kaname smiled fondly when he saw his beloved silverette had fallen asleep. Turning to press one last kiss to his innocent lips, he closed his own eyes and let sleep overcome him.

His last lingering thought left a light smile on his face.

"_Zero Kiryu. My perfect, beautiful fallen angel."_

* * *

_**And that brings part one to an end! :D WOOOOOO!**_

_**It's been an incredible journey and I just want to thank everyone who has read this story and especially those who've stuck with me from the very beginning! (You know who you are!) I truly couldn't have gotten his far without all your encouraging comments, and I sincerely hope you've enjoyed Zero and Kaname's story so far. :] *gives giant hug that almost squeezes you to death!***_

_**But alas, the story is not done yet! Not even close!**_

_**Part two is about to start, and if you thought there was drama before, you haven't seen anything yet! ;)**_

_**I will post the part 2 prologue shortly, but before I do, I just want to go back and quickly edit the previous chapters for grammar, spelling, etc. so if you get a bunch of notifications of updates for previous chapters, please don't mind me!**_

_**Also, this story will be going through a very important **__**NAME CHANGE!**__**Because although this section was called Fallen Angel, that is not the name of the entire series.**_

_**And with that, I bid you Aurévoir, and hope to see you soon with the exciting new chapter of part two: **__**Dark Angel**_

_**Till next time!**_

_**Xoxoxoxo**_

_**-VanillaszTheVampire**_


	26. EXTRAS PAGE

**SAVIOR EXTRAS PAGE!**

**_This is the official SAVIOR Extra's page! Here you can find drabbles and mini one shots (all focused in this stories universe), character profiles/interviews with the characters, and of course direct replies to all your reviews! :D_**

_**This will be updated along with every new chapter posted, so be sure to check back to read the new drabble or have your questions answered! :)**_

_**It starts from oldest and moves down to most recent, so scroll down to look for the most recent post!**_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.  
**

* * *

*****THE DRABBLES*****

_So how it works is that they all take place in the stories universe, but from multiple perspectives at random times. (so they are not in sync with the chapters)  
_.

.

.

.

* * *

**Drabble #1- The Broken mirror**

Zero stared at the cold purple eyes that looked back at him. They looked hateful, daunting, and malicious.

He hesitantly reached out to touch the person cool skin, and flinched when the eyes seemed to narrow in disdain.

"_You're disgusting. Look at you! You think you deserve to live?! You're nothing but a murderer who's responsible for your own parents death! You don't deserve to have friends, you don't deserve to have food you don't even deserve to live. You should do everyone a favor and just DIE!"_

Zero quickly moved his hand away but just couldn't tear his gaze away from the face so identical to his own. The cold eyes stared mockingly back at him.

"_You think crying is going to do anything? You think begging or pleading is going to change things? Pathetic! You're pathetic you hear me?!"_

Zero still couldn't stop the sobs that wracked his body and he stared in almost awe as a tear slipped down the other person's angry face.

_"You think I'm crying for you? I'm not. I'm crying for the breath you're wasting. Other people deserve it more than you."_

Zero could feel his hand curling in a fist. And he knew he was shaking with fear while his identical looked to be shaking with rage.

_"You know, the sooner you admit it, and the sooner you accept it, the sooner the pain will go away. You want the pain to go away don't you?" _He asked him suddenly, and almost innocently tilting his head to the side in question.

"Yes." Zero whispered softly.

_"Then say it." _He encouraged.

"You're right." Zero spoke brokenly, barely being able to get the words out.

"_What was that? I didn't hear you. Say it louder you coward!" _He demanded furiously.

"I SAID YOU'RE RIGHT!" Zero screamed it at the top of his lungs before taking his shaking fist and punching the mirror with all his strength.

There was an audible "crack" as the mirror slowly shattered, and the face Zero had been staring at finally broke away.

Breathing heavily Zero Slid down the bathroom wall and shut his eyes ignoring the stinging from his knuckles. But even without the reflection in front of him, his thoughts still haunted him, they always haunted him.

_Alright! First drabble done! It was kind of dark, poor Zero! :( But you now have drabbles to look forward to with every updated reviewers page, so I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Drabble #2: (A holiday special!) The Porcelain Doll**

"Kaname-sama? We should be heading back soon don't you think?"

Sieren's soft question brought Kaname out of his thoughts. He had been out Christmas shopping when he saw a little porcelain doll in a shop window that had such an uncanny resemblance to his little sister, he actually stopped walking in the middle of the side walk. A sharp pang of pain went through his heart as he stared at the innocent expression painted on the dolls face. Without even realizing it, his hand had moved on its own accord and was now touching the cool glass of the window longingly.

He held back a sigh. Of course he could have easily asked a number of his help to the Christmas shopping for him, and avoided this whole thing, but shopping for his friends was always more personal and meaningful when you bought the gift yourself.

"Kaname-sama?" Sieren questioned again, letting her hand gently press on his shoulder as if to wake him from his stupor.

"Shall I bring the car around?"

Kaname shook his head as he turned away from the doll and looked up into the sky. The moon was full and seemed to be shimmering in the night's sky as snowflakes blew gently in the wind around them.

"It's a beautiful night. I'd prefer to walk." He paused before turning to look at her. "You head back first."

The underlining order was clear. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Christmas was always a hard time for him, it brought back too many unfortunate memories he would have liked to keep hidden away.

Sieren hesitated at first, obviously not liking the idea of leaving the boy alone at night, but one cold hard glare from Kaname was all it took to remind her who she worked for. It was her job to follow all orders from him whether she approved or not. So with a low bow she replied "As you wish."

Kaname nodded and turned around quickly, suddenly wanting to put as much distance between himself and that doll in the window.

He wasn't sure how long he walked, but he walked aimlessly, letting his feet take him wherever they pleased. The cold wind picked up around him, making him pause in his walking and actually take in his surroundings.

He had walked all the way to an old abandoned children's park. The swings, although run down still creaked on their hinges as the wind blew them back and forth eerily.

Kaname suddenly felt a little nervous. He was after all only 15, and was standing in some unfamiliar area. But a quick reminder to himself that he was alone and there was nobody there brought some relief and his tense shoulders slowly relaxed.

That was until he noticed the lump lying sideways on the bench!

Breathing a little faster, he tried to tell himself that it was just some old homeless person sleeping on the bench, and that he should just turn around and leave. But curiosity got the better of him, especially since whoever was laying on the bench was covered in snow and must be freezing! It was Christmas after all, so with the spirit of the season the least he could do was check to make sure if the person was alright.

As he approached the figure, he mentally started going over all the self defense moves his father had taught him.

He soon stood inches away from the bench and when he looked down he had to control his shock! The figure wasn't old at all, but was a young boy who looked to be around his age, if not a year younger. But that wasn't what made Kaname want to gasp, it was because the boy was…beautiful!

He looked like an unearthly being, with his glimmering silver hair that reminded him of stardust. And his creamy pale skin that looked to be made of porcelain. Although the boy's eyes were closed, his long lashes gently brushed his cheeks, and the more Kaname stared at him, the more he was reminded of the doll in the window.

"Yes, he looks too beautiful to be human…but he looks so fragile…so breakable…like porcelain doll."

It was then that Kaname started to get worried. The boy wasn't even wearing a coat! And his lips had taken on a faint blue hue. For a second Kaname freaked out and wasn't sure if he was even breathing!

He frantically brought his fingers to the boy's neck to check his pulse and almost yelped with how cold the boy's skin was. He breathed out a low sigh of relief when there was indeed a soft pulse, but it seemed slow, too slow.

"Hey! HEY! Wake up!" Kaname said anxiously as he gently shook the boy's shoulders.

Kaname had always been a person to keep his cool, but for some reason seeing this boy stirred up all kinds of unknown emotions inside of him, and his lack of empathy vanished while panic took its place.

"WAKE UP!" He tried again, shaking harder this time.

He was just about to reach for his cell phone to call Sieren for help when the pale lilac eyes slowly fluttered open.

At first Kaname could do nothing but stare, but then he seemed to come to his senses and quickly blushed and looked away.

"What are you doing out here without a jacket idiot! You could have frozen to death!"

The boy blinked slowly and seemed to slowly recall how he got there before recognition dawned on his face.

Seeing as the boy wasn't about to reply anytime soon, Kaname sighed and started to dust the snow that had fallen on them both.

The words were spoken so softly he wouldn't have heard them had he not been leaning so close.

"Death by a winter's night would be much more peaceful than death by a number of other ways."

Kaname frowned. He didn't like the morbid yet metaphorical things the boy was speaking.

He opened his mouth to reply, but he noticed the dark red stain on his inner arm.

"You're hurt!"Cried out Kaname in dismay.

The boy quickly tried to hide it, and cover it up like it was nothing, but Kaname was having none of that.

He immediately took the boys arm and pulled up the sleeve; wincing when he saw the deep gash that was there. He unwrapped his scarf and wrapped it around the boy's arm, tying it tight as a make shift band aid. When he was sure the bleeding had stopped, he looked at the boy silently.

"How did it happen?"

The boy just shrugged and looked down, unshed tears already gathering in his eyes.

"I fell." He whispered hoarsely.

Kaname looked at the boy carefully. He was usually good at reading people, but it really was impossible to tell if the boy was lying. However even if he did fall, Kaname was pretty sure there was more to the story than that. But knowing firsthand how annoying it could be when people pried, he kept his mouth shut. At least he knew for sure the wound wasn't self inflicted, and that would have to be good enough for now.

So instead of replying, he simply slid out of his warm coat easily and draped it over the boy's small frame.

It was then that he noticed how skinny he was.

"You're too skinny, come on, let's go get something to eat."

The bow scowled at him, (which really came off more as a pout) and Kaname had to hold back his smile.

"I'm Kaname."

He waited for the boy to reply but sighed when he got no answer.

"It's fine if you don't want to tell me your name."

He looked at the boy and saw that even with Kaname's heavy coat he was still shaking.

Slowly as to not startle him, Kaname sat beside him on the bench and enveloped him into a hug.

The boy completely stiffened and whispered dangerously "What are you doing?"

Kaname shrugged before replying easily. "Body heat."

The boy didn't move for a few seconds before he slowly melting in the embrace and buried his face in Kaname's chest.

Kaname smiled and gently stroked his back.

After a few minutes, Kaname begrudgingly pulled away.

"Are you ready to go get something to eat now?"

The boy shyly looked down before shaking his head, but Kaname just rolled his eyes and tugged on his hand.

"Come on!"

Surprised, and clearly not expected to be pulled off the bench, the boy trailed after Kaname as he led him to a small café he remembered passing on the way to the park.

It took some convincing on Zero's behalf to let Kaname treat him, but an hour later they left the café both feeling content and full of warm pastries and hot chocolate.

As Kaname and Zero both subconsciously made their way back to the park, neither of them took any notice on how they were holding hands; it just felt natural to them.

"I should be heading back." The boy finally said softly as they had reached the bench once more.

"Oh." Kaname replied, trying to hide his disappointment.

It made him feel a little better that the boy was looking quite disappointed too.

"I can call the car and take you back!" Kaname suddenly said; eager to get a few more minutes with the boy.

But the boy just shook his head sadly. He then shrugged out of Kaname's coat and held it out to him.

"Thanks for this." He said shyly.

Kaname smiled warmly before shaking his head without accepting it.

"Keep it. It's for you."

"But…you'll be cold." The boy said questionably, tilting his head cutely to the side as he did so.

Kaname just patted the boys head in affection. "I'll be fine."

The boy paused for a few minutes, and seemed to be having some sort of inner debate, before finally coming to a conclusion and putting the coat back on. He turned to leave but then turned back and stared at his feet blushing darkly.

"I want to give you something so close your eyes." He said hesitantly, as he shuffled from foot to foot.

Kaname raised his eyebrows in surprise and started to say he didn't have to, but stopped after seeing the determined look in the boy's eyes.

So Kaname obediently closed his eyes, and it was then that he felt soft lips against his cold cheek, and warm breath from a light whisper against his ear

"Merry Christmas Kaname."

Kaname couldn't control his blush, and was sure he was beet red when he opened his eyes.

But when he whipped his head around, the boy was gone and he was left alone in the park once more.

Ignoring the strangely empty feeling in his chest, Kaname called the car to come around and pick him up. (He was quite cold now since he gave his jacket away and didn't particularly feel like walking the long way back.)

As the car pulled up, and drove him back to the Kuran Mansions, he couldn't help but wonder if he would ever see the boy again, or if the boy would ever remember him.

"I didn't even get his name…"

Zero rushed back to his rundown house feeling giddy with excitement. He wrapped his arms around himself and smiled as he imagined it was Kaname's arms hugging him instead of his own.

Never in his life did he think a stranger would care for him that way…and especially when he was thinking of letting death take him in the cold of night, instead of waiting for Ichiru to drag it out slowly. (the pain on his arm still throbbed from where Ichiru had cut him earlier)

But thinking about Kaname made the pain ebb way.

He felt like Kaname was his beautiful guardian angel; saving him when he had lost all hope.

"Maybe I'll try to stay alive for a while longer…put up with the abuse and hold on to this hope that maybe, just maybe, I'll see Kaname again one day."

END

_Tadaa! So there's my second drabble/oneshot inspired by the Christmas season! Hope you enjoyed! :D_

* * *

**NEW SEGMENT: PROBLEMS IN THE DISIPLINARY COMMITTEE!**

Zero and Kaname aren't the only ones who have trouble with their relationships… Infact it seems like almost all the members of the DC are going through problems of their own as they go through life, hardships, and love. Join them, and learn their stories in the brand new oneshot series: Problems in the DC!

_Coming Soon!_

* * *

.

.

.

.

*****THE REPLIES*****

_So I figured it must get kind of annoying having all the replies to my reviews taking up space at the bottom of every chapter :S I would just PM everyone back, but a lot of ppl have disabled their PM's or send me PM messages that are separate from their comment/ review. Also, a lot of my reviews are by guests, or those who don't have an account. That being said, I decided to make this the response page to all my lovely reviews. :D I will update this along with every chapter so check back often to see that I replied or at least mentioned each and every one of you. :)_

_LOVE YOU ALL! Your encouraging comments have truly been my inspiration to keep writing throughout his whole thing and I can't thank you enough! *GIVES GIANT HUG!* :D_

_Btw, The reviews start from oldest and move down to most recent, so if you are looking for the most recent reply to your review it will be at towards the bottom of the page so just scroll down please. :]_

_WARNING: Some replies may contain spoilers depending on what the question was asked._

_._

_._

_._

* * *

SakuraXChiyoko **– Haha, yes he does! He just fits the rebel personality so well don't you think? ;) Although in this one he definitely acts the part of a little uke more so than in the other school fic. ;)  
Uhm I'm thinking the side effects of the pills will be similar to the symptoms Ichiru had, while when he has an actual attack from his illness it will be similar to his bloodlust.  
Oh no my dear, you are not bothering me at all, I love getting your reviews and will try my best to answer any questions you have!**

**Right now Cross doesn't do too much since he isn't aware of how bad the situation is, but he might do a little more later on in the story. :)**

**Haha! Let's hope so! But I always like Aido to be one of those characters who starts out bad but then comes around in the end. :)**

**As for my other stories, well I'm dying to start on those too, but the more stories I start, the longer It'll take to update each one, so for now I'll just focus on these 4, then as soon as I finish one, I can start another! :) Although, I do have some ideas for the Vampire host Club so that or the Poisoned Love will most likely be the next new one I start. **

**Thanks for reading, I'm glad you like them! :D**

* * *

ben4kevin **– Thanks, glad you like it! :]**

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper **– LOL! Yess, I'll make sure someone saves your brain baby! but he might have to suffer a little more first :'( Poor thing can't catch a break! :(**

* * *

KyouyaxCloud **– LOL! Don't worry, eventually Kaname will definitely be coming to the rescue to save **_**his **_***ahem* I mean to save Zero. ;)**

**Glad you like it! :]**

* * *

TheSatanicNightmare -**That's so true!**

**Yes, to add to the drama and angst, his condition is definitely much worse. :[**

**I know! But you're right he's way too stubborn! I think he's also ashamed that his younger brother is abusing him so just doesn't want anyone to know or pity him :/**

**Haha, that's true, he's definitely going to panic! IF he finds out. I think Kaname will be the first one to catch on though. ;)**

**No problem, I'm happy to answer any of your questions or confusion you might have :]**

**Well other than acting like a psycho Ichiru is physically fine. Basically it's like he got the strength and Zero is the weak one.**

**Well you shall have to wait and see ;)**

**Thanks so much! Glad you're still enjoying them :)**

* * *

KyouyaxCloud - **Haha, my thoughts exactly!**

**How very true, I can see that happening too ;)**

**Wow! You must be psychic, you're totally write about Ichiru "hating him" for something and for being the bad guy! **

**Thanks for reading, glad you like it :)**

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper **- *sigh* so true. :(**

* * *

rosaikibu **- Thank you so much! Glad you like it!**

**And yess, Ichiru is still Zero's twin, but he is sadly the abuser :[**

* * *

Sezthekitty **- me too! :'(**

**And same here! I like Yagari as a mentor and it's weird to picture him doing something like being the abuser :S It was easier to use Ichiru because he already wanted to kill Zero once in the manga/anime so it's easier to picture the hate. **

**And that's true, that's why I decided I would have to make Ichiru the stronger twin in this one :[**

**Thanks so much! I'm glad you like the story so far :]**

* * *

wawatvxq , ben4kevin , gundamzbd36 , kanamexzero fan , fahaar **– Thanks for all the encouraging comments! :D *hugs!***

* * *

ben4kevin **– don't worry…he will. ;)**

* * *

fahaar **– I agree! A rescue team will be coming in the next couple chapters!**

* * *

Sezthekitty **– aww thank you! I try ;) I just know how it feels when you're reading a good story and you're deperatly waiting for the next update, so I try to update frequently :) **

**Oh don't worry I totally understand. As writers we can only update when we have the time, afterall we do have lives ;) so don't feel bad!**

**Well hopefully this chapter satisfies you then. :] **

**I know it's a little odd Kaito didn't really do anything but I wanted Kaname to be the one who will come to the rescue, not Kaito! ;)**

**I'm glad you're enjoying it, next chapter is ready to go so will be posted right away! ;D**

* * *

w- **Yep, he's his twin. Well you will find out why soon enough ;) but basically he blames Zero for the death of his parents.**

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper **– LOOOL!**

* * *

ben4kevin , fahaar , kamihitokata , CandyLover1, ShadowsOfPenAndPaper **– LOOL! Thanks so much for all the encouraging comments! You guys are awesome and I'm so happy you all like the story :D**

* * *

Amaya Ishimoto **– LOOL! Well I'm so glad you're getting so into my story! :D And thank you so much!**

**Haha welllll….as you can see I don't always update thaaat fast :$ but I will try to get the next chapter out much faster!**

* * *

snipits42 **– Aww thank you! And I'm glad you like it, and are noticing the details like that! It makes it more satisfying as the writer that you understand the relationships between the characters :]**

* * *

wawatvxq **- lol, thank you! and I'm glad you like it! don't worry, Kaname will be coming to the rescue verrry soon! ;)**

* * *

PeachyQ73 **– LOL I know right! Grr, he makes me mad just writing about him! But don't worry, some of your predictions just may be coming true… ;) and aw thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying! :]**

* * *

2012summerstar **– LOL you're not twisted, I like stories like that too :$ ;) and Thanks! I'll try to update faster next time! :]**

* * *

hotxhotguy **– Yess I know what you mean! Kaito is pretty much in denial, and Cross is clueless even though the proof is RIGHT THERE! *sigh* but I suppose I needed them to be a clueless for a bit longer so that Kaname could swoop down and save the day ;)**

* * *

Sezthekitty **– Aww, I'm honored that you like my story enough to reread it! :D **

**Sorry this update took a bit longer :[ But I promise to try and post my next update sooner!**

**And thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it! :]**

* * *

Aeternum Spe **– wow! I'm so flattered you think so! Thank you so much, and I'm so glad you like it! :)**

* * *

UmamiIchigoBara **- I'm so glad you're enjoying all my stories! :)**

**Wow, I'm so flattered you feel that way! Thank you so much! And haha, yess Yuuki will never be a main character in any of my stories!**

* * *

ZeamagiriZyenn **– Don't worry, he will be saved soon! And haha thanks! :)**

* * *

Guest - _**Now normally although I always appreciate ALL my lovely reviews including the guests/anonymous posts; I don't normally reply to them individual simply because it gets confusing on whose comment I'm responding too (considering they all have the same name: 'Guest') BUT I always try my best to answer all questions SO in response to**_ Guest _**err…Guest #1 I suppose? The one with the questions after reading ch4? **_

**Okay soo firstly thanks so much and I' really glad you like the story!**

**Yess, Ichiru is the crazy psychopath one :/ **

**You are so right! I'm glad you understand their personalities so well :)**

**Well since this is AU I decided to switch it up and make Ichiru the stronger twin and Zero the weaker one. So that coupled with the guilt Zero feels for his parents death is what makes it so easy for Ichiru to overpower him.**

**And yes when they were younger, his family thought Zero was the stronger twin but it was really only because his heart was pumping adrenaline (Because as you know when you have adrenaline you can become stronger, faster, etc.) Anyway after the accident, it was revealed that Zero's heart condition was killing him and that he was in truth really weak, meaning Ichiru was the stronger twin the whole time after all! Hope that clears things up :] Just message me if you're still confused or have any more questions! :]**

**Also shout outs and thanks to ALL the other wonderful posts by all of you Anonymous/Guest :D *gives giant hug!***

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper , snipits42 , neko1998 **– I knoooow, Kaname should have been there faster! …It was that damn traffic! :O**

* * *

fahaar**- Sooo sorry for the wait! And I know! But don't worry, hopefully Kaname will protect him.**

* * *

Sezthekitty **– Kaname to the rescueee! You're right, he came JUST in time! And haha aww thanks! I'm glad you like it**!

* * *

rosaikibu **- yess! I'm sorry for the delay in updates! :(  
Really? Thanks so much! I'm glad you think so because I was really nervous on how that scene would turn out.**

**Okay explanation time. :P **

**Well, since Zero has been going through this for so many years, his body has adapted to the circumstances, meaning he can survive the torture for much longer than normal.**

**As for the heart condition, he used to get attacks during some of the torture in the past (It will be explained more in detail in later chapters) But now he takes the pills before meeting Ichiru since he knows that some sort of torture will be coming and his body will be prepared. Also, his condition becomes worse when he's severely stressed, but as I tried to portray, Zero has "somewhat" excepted the situation and the fact that Ichiru beats him. Because of this I wouldn't say he's relaxed, but he's mentally not freaking out enough to trigger an attack since him getting beaten isn't really a surprise anymore.**

**That being said, Ichiru does however often take away Zero's pills as a form of punishment (as mentioned in one of the previous chapters) Hope that clears things up! :) If you have any more questions just let me know! :]**

**Sorry he didn't make it in time… but don't fret, Kaname will have the showdown with Ichiru soon ;)**

**Well Zero works, so he takes all of Zero's money to pay for most things. He also has a lot of shady friends who are more than happy to provide him with the "tools" :/**

* * *

ben4kevin **– I agree! .**

* * *

ZeamagiriZyenn **– LOOOL! And I know, I hate him too! *emits evil aura* I'll see what I can do about him dying in the future ;)**

**Thank you! I'm so glad you like it! **

**Awww, don't cry, Kaname will save him! Lool, but really thanks so much, I'm so glad you feel so strongly about the story :]**

**So sorry about the late update :[**

* * *

hotxhotguy **- LOL! Well you are not the only one who feels that way ! ;P**

* * *

Cookies **– sorry it took so long :[ But thanks! I'm so glad you like it! :D**

* * *

MidnightFunhouse **– LOLOLOLOL! Your comment kills me. And thank you so much, I'm so glad you like it! :D**

* * *

Amaya Ishimoto , BloodRoseNinja , snipits42 , fahaar , The-Demon-Rose **– Thanks sooo much for your opinion on the vote and your encouraging comments! :) *gives big hug!***

* * *

ben4kevin**– haha! I'll see what I can do. ;P**

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper **– LOL! I appreciate your enthusiasm for torturing our evil Ichiru. ;P Thanks for your opinion on the vote and glad you're still enjoying the story! :]**

* * *

Esther Cain014 **- Hiii! Why thank you very much! And I'm so glad you've been enjoying reading!**

**Haha I know, poor Zero really suffers but hopefully Kaname will fix that soon. ;)**

**Aww, I'm sorry if it seemed short :'( I do make sure that each chapter is always at least 2000 words so I can promise you that although it will hopefully be longer than 2000, it will NEVER be shorter than that. :]**

**Thanks so much for all your feedback and comments! I'm so happy you're so into the story! :D**

**Haha, I know, It was kind of like a bitter sweet thing that Kaname got there at that moment.**

**Yes, it felt a little weird making him cry, but I kind of wanted to show that even though the DC can be harsh (especially Aidou) They do all have hearts and are slowly starting to warm up to Zero a little more. :)**

**As for the electrocution, I'm impressed you noticed that, and am happy to elaborate for you :) Basically, the dial was set to a low voltage so it didn't really do anything in terms of damage to his heart other than cause him physical pain. HOWEVER, if Ichiru had turned the dial up to the maximum voltage (since he mentions that it can go much higher) than yes, that would definitely cause some damage. I understand what you're saying, and under normal circumstances perhaps it would help since when people go into cardiac arrest they use shocks to re-start the heart BUT since Zero is in no way normal, the shock would most likely do more damage than good. The only time the shocks might be useful would be if his heart really did stop.**

**Don't worry, I'm in no way medically inclined either. And LOL There's nothing wrong with being curious :) Unfortunately, in real life I have no idea if that would help or not, since I made up the entire disease Zero has! :P That being said, for the sake of the story, we're going to go with saying that electrocution does NOT help his heart.**

**Thanks again, I'll try to update soon! :)**

* * *

MidnightFunhouse **– LMAOOOO! Well thank you very much Midnight-chan, I'm glad you're still enjoying the story! :D ps: I will forever love your rants. :P**

* * *

rosaikibu**- That's very true, Thanks for your opinion on the vote! :] **

**Well you got your answer in this chapter…he says yes! ;D**

**I feel the same way. At one point I'm anxious to start the relationship going, but at the same time it would seem to forced if it happened before Zero got over all his trauma. In this case their relationship will have to start developing slowly, but the most important thing is for Zero to be able to trust Kaname. Once that happens, I'm sure things will start progressing quite nicely. :)**

**Well hopefully this chapter gives you your answer on Cross' reaction! :P**

**Thanks! I'll try and update soon :]**

* * *

ZeamagiriZyenn – **Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the story, and thanks for your opinion on the vote! :]**

* * *

erihan **– Thanks for your opinion on the vote :] **

**Haha, yes, Aidou isn't a complete ass this time. :P**

**Hmm, to be honest I wasn't really planning on putting much Yuuki in this one, (sorry!) but you'll find out why when there's mentions of her in the oncoming chapters ;)**

**Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it :)**

* * *

Sezthekitty **– Lool, oh no, no ending in sight just yet. There's still lot's that needs to happen! Besides, there isn't even any lemon yet! :O :P**

**Thanks for your opinion on the vote :] **

**I'm so glad you're still enjoying! I'll try and update soon :)**

* * *

Mr. Raindrop **– LOOL! I know what you mean, the suspicion was building up for a while, so I was just as excited writing it as you were reading it! :P**

**Thank you, I'm glad you feel that way :]**

***gasps* well that is certainly dramatic and would be a good twist buuuut, you'll just have to wait and find out ;)**

**Thanks for your opinion on the vote :]**

* * *

CandyLover1 **– Oh yess, don't worry there will definitely be a showdown between the two. The question is **_**when **_**and you will have to wait to find out ;)**

* * *

hotxhotguy **– OMG Ichirubitchiru! LOOOOOOL! I died. :P**

* * *

neko1998 **– aha, I know right? I can't wait for their relationship to start :]**

* * *

loveless. raine** – Thank you SO much! I'm so flattered you feel that way, and I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! :D**

**Thanks for your opinion on the vote! :]**

* * *

wawatvxq – **why thank you darling, I'm glad you're still enjoying them :]**

* * *

ZeamagiriZyenn **– Aww, thanks! Glad you liked it! :) **

**Sorry it took so long to get this next chapter out, but hopefully the length of it made up for the wait. :)**

**Haha! Glad you're anticipating it! It will be published as soon as one of my current stories finishes (I don't want to have too many multi-chapter fics going at the same time since it would just mean longer time between updates :S But hopefully it will be up there soon!)**

* * *

fahaar **– Sighh, I know. I wish Zero would just come clean too. But he's just too scared…or stubborn…or both. :P **

**And haha good idea! **

* * *

hotxhotguy **– I know! He is pretty clueless! But then again, in this chappie he seems to be catching on to something…although I doubt it's got to do with Ichiru. -_-'**

* * *

neko1998 **- *Zero gives you a tight hug back* ;) :P**

**and so true! I don't think Ichiru will take it well at all! :O**

**And aw no problem, I'll always reply all my reviews :]**

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper **– Sorry for the long awaited update :S But I'm so glad you're still enjoying! :]**

**And yess, don't worry zero's "job" will be coming into play verrrry soon. ;)**

* * *

Annie – **Aww! Thank you! I am so glad you like the story! :)**

* * *

MidnightFunhouse- **Well you signed it as guest but I'm going to guess by the rant that it's you! ;P**

**(I still died when I read it by the way. LOL!)**

**Well Ichiru will be making an appearance soon enough, but as for now im hoping this will give Kaname and Zero some time for their relationship to develop. :) **

**Cross is pretty clueless. He seems to be catching on to something...but what that "something" is I can't really say. ;)**

**Yes I agree! Ichiru needs to be smacked around by Kaname!**

**Anyway I'm so glad you're still enjoying my stories! :) And I'll try to update soon!**

**p.s: Kaname! Be nice to Midnight-chan! :P**

* * *

Fanimation Danimation **– thanks so much for all the reviews, and I'm so glad you like the story so far! :] And I'm also happy you understand Zero's character to get why he wouldn't fight back. :)**

**Yes, I too was worried it was going by a little fast with Kaname finding out about the abuse so quickly, but I didn't really want to drag it out for too long otherwise it would take forever for their relationship to develop any further. :S That being said, don't worry I have no intention of finishing this off soon. I have way too many things that still need to happen! ;) (Mainly Kaname and Zero actually need to get together, and there hasn't even been any lemon yet! ;P ) But also at the moment Kaname still doesn't even know that it's Ichiru who has been hurting Zero, and Zero is still going to need a lot of time to come to terms with what he's been through and realize his own feelings for Kaname. **

**Bottom line, you have nothing to worry about with this story ending soon. :]**

* * *

Please **– Lol! I love your enthusiasm and I tried my best to make this one long for you ;)**

* * *

DevilFujoshi , rosaikibu , ben4kevin **– thank you so much for your encouraging comments and I'm glad you're still enjoying the story! :D**

* * *

snipits42- **sorry if its a bit confusing! :S**

**just think of it like this: The reviewers page will ALWAYS be updated to the last chapter of the story.**

**So for example rightnow, if the actual content-chapter is chapter 11, then the reviwers page will be on chapter 12. But, when I add a new chapter, chapter 12 will have content and the reviewers page will be pushed forward to chapter 13. get it? :)**

**Basically, the last chapter is the reviewers page, and the chapter before that is the new one. Simple right? :)**

**Haha anyway glad you liked the chapter! :)**

* * *

neko1998 **– I knooow, poor Zero! :( **

**Well Zero is slowly starting to trust Kaname more, but they're both keeping too many secrets. :[**

**And sadly, Ichiru always has a plan. Wanna try and guess what it is? ;)**

* * *

ZeamagiriZyenn **– Awww, thank you hun! I'm so glad you liked it! :] yaay!**

**I hope so too. They're both so stubborn though! *sighs***

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper- **Aww, I'm sure that would make Zero feel so much better!**

_***Zero accepts your hug and eats a big scoop of ice cream then gives you a small smile***_

**See? He's feeling better already! Lool!**

**And yes, I know, sadly if only Zero would open up more to Kaname so that he could comfort him. :/**

**Oh yess, suggestive "comforting" is the best kind. ;)**

* * *

rosaikibu-** Aww, thank you so much! I'm so glad you felt that way! :]**

**Yess, unfortunately. But I'm glad you seem to really understand Zero's mind set! :]**

**Yes, Kaname does care for Zero, but he is bothered and confused a lot by things from his past. (That will all be revealed later on) heehee ;)**

* * *

MidnightFunhouse- _*** reads your comment and is temporarily stunned by nosebleed and then by Zero's cute display of flowers of moe and sparkles***_

_***shakes head and manages to snaps out of it* **_

**LOL! As always, love your mini rant! It always makes me laugh! :D **

**Why thank you so much! (and tell Kaname thank you too) haha! But I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

**Yess, unfortunately something has happened to Yuuki…but all will be revealed later on! ;)**

…**Although it sounds like you're a big Yuuki fan so hopefully you don't hate me too much! :$ :S**

* * *

Nessaloveskid**- Thank you so much for saying that! And haha, unfortunately, mean either :S**

* * *

Hotxhotguy- **LOL! Honestly!**

**I know :( I wish he was! But it's going to take some time since he still believes he deserves all the abuse :[**

* * *

Lymixan- **uhmm…lol thank you?**

**But you're right, this is a dark fic and is not for people who can't handle the angst and heartbreak!**

**That being said, this story is not labeled a "tragedy" so maybe there is hope for them yet!**

* * *

JustCallMeMoMo , RandomPerson **- I'll try! :O :]**

* * *

ben4kevin**- Glad you enjoyed. :]**

* * *

PeachyQ73**- Soo true! Poor Zero. *shakes head***

* * *

ZeamagiriZyenn **– LOOL! Omg I don't like her either! But I needed a somewhat bitchy character and I figured she would be perfect. Especially since I'm not really a fan of making OC's unless its really necessary :/ and aww, I'm so glad! thanks for the love! ;P**

* * *

neko1998 **– Well, aren't you a smart cookie? ;)**

* * *

XtremeQueen1234 **– Well he's suppose to be a bartender, but we all know our Zero has a knack of getting into bad situations… so we'll have to wait and see what happens! ;)**

* * *

MidnightFunhouse **– OMG, I feel the same way! Like she totally gets in the way of Kaname and Zero's yaoi-ness! :O**

**And ps: LMAOO! Your rant was extra cute! ;) :P**

* * *

ItsRandom**- The new chapter is always the one BEFORE the review page. ;)**

* * *

rosaikibu**- Aww, I love all your questions! It means you're getting into the story! :)**

***Sigh* I know. Oh Zero when will you realize you can't run away from loveeeee! *Cough cough* I mean Kaname. ;P**

**No no, he's not running away, he just went to work. He only left because he wants to take his mind off things. **

**Oh when Kaname finds out he's missing, he will DEFINITELY panic. :P**

**Haha, as for Sara… well you'll have to wait and find out! ;)**

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper **– Yaaay! I'm so glad. :]**

* * *

shuki00 **– Sorry for the long wait. :[ I'll try my best!**

* * *

winged ashes**– So glad you're liking the story! **

**I see what you mean, but you have to remember, Kaname really doesn't know anything about Zero's home life. For all he knows, Zero could be staying with a relative. Plus, according to Zero's story at the hospital, Ichiru is not even home. But don't worry, our clueless Kaname will start catching on soon. ;)**

* * *

LuanRina **– I agree! Poor Zero! :[ I'm glad Kaname is there for him though. :]**

**Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like it! :]**

* * *

ben4kevin**- not just yet, Ichiru is too clever for that, but the show down will happen eventually! :O**

* * *

LuanRina**- Glad you liked the chapter! :) haha will considering his history with sara and the club, I don't think he'll be too happy… :S ;P**

* * *

ZeamagiriZyenn**- Aww thank you so much hun! That's so sweet of you and it means a lot that you don't mind waiting, but I'll try my best to update soon for you! :] thanks for the luck btw! ;D**

**I'm glad you liked the chapter! And I'm glad that you don't hate Sara that much, but it's ok if you do, in this story she's going to be one of those bitchy characters that you can't really decide if they're good or bad you know? ;P**

* * *

rosaikibu**- Hopefully the double update makes up for it, and I'll try to update again sooner! :)**

* * *

MidnightFunhouse**- As always, your comment literally made me LOL which I'm sure would have gotten me a few strange looks if anyone was around to see my laughing at my laptop. :P**

**But anyway, Well Sara is one of those tricky characters who's kind of bitchy but you're really not sure if she's good or bad, you'll just have to wait and see! ;)**

**Well unfortunately, Kaname won't find him just yet, (Ichiru is too clever to be caught so quickly) but he's close, verrrry close. ;)**

* * *

Sezthekitty**- You are quite right, Zero's job is not going to be easy, and it's going to cause quite the trouble when Kaname finds out! ;) Especially now that Zero is staying with Sara! :O**

**Thanks and ill try my best! :]**

* * *

neko1998**- Good guess! But I decided I wanted Kaname's and Ichiru's meeting to be even more dramatic! So it won't happen just yet, but it soon, verrry soon… ;)**

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper**- Oh yes, but poor Zero is going to realize his job is going to cause more problems than he thought… :S And Kaname is not going to be happy! Especially with his past with Sara… :S**

* * *

Devilsfairy**- Thank you so much! So glad you're enjoying! :]**

* * *

Guest**- thank you so much! I'm so flattered that you check so often, and I'm truly sorry that it's been such a long wait, but I'll try my best to post faster for you and I hope you enjoy the latest chapters! :)**

* * *

kirara kagome**- Why thank you! I'm so glad you like them! :) I know, I wish he would too, but hopefully he'll be coming clean soon. :S**

**Well I'm sure you can make a few guesses, but all will be revealed verrrrry soon. ;)**

* * *

rosaikibu **– thank you! :)**

**And as for all of Ichiru's finances, it will be explained soon, but he also took all of Zero's paycheck leaving Zero with virtually nothing.**

**Sorry about the lack of KaZe moments, but I promise they're coming!**

* * *

ben4kevin**- *sigh* so true!**

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper**- haha! Glad you're enjoying! :)**

* * *

MidnightFunhouse**- OMG. You're review was soo nosebleed-worthy ;P lol! Thanks for reading, and I'm glad you're still enjoying the story! :]**

* * *

Just-Use-A-Phoenix-Down**- Thank you so much! I'm so flattered, and am so happy that I've managed to give you a new perspective on the pair and have a new fellow K/Z fan! :D I hope you're still enjoying the story!**

* * *

Strawberry Sauce**- Thank you! I'm so happy you're still enjoying! And well we'll find out in the next chapter! ;)**

* * *

LuanRina**- muahaha! That he did ;) Looks like Kaname has a few secrets up his sleeve himself! Glad you're still enjoying! :]**

* * *

Reader**- Well you have to remember that Kaname just started being friends with Zero recently, and although it was mentioned that Ichiru lives with him, he really has no idea if Zero also lives with any other relatives.**

**As for the foster system, I'm really glad you brought it up! There is actually a legitimate reason as to why they managed to live alone, buuut I don't want to give it away right now. I promise it will be mentioned in later chapters though!**

* * *

neko1998**- Lool! Yes! I agree! Only Kaname can touch him! .**

* * *

BlueKaZeBlack **- Thank you so much for your lovely review, and I'm so happy you're enjoying the story! :]**

**Ps: YESSS! Secret-yaoi-fangirls UNITE! :D**

* * *

ZeamagiriZyenn**- Aww thanks! I'm so glad you liked it! **

**And haha yess, he definitely has a few secrets of his own… ;)**

**Lol! I agree! That would be great if that happens! :P**

* * *

KxZ fan girl**- Thanks for reading and I'll try to update soon! :)**

* * *

GaaraLover1298**- Thank you! Glad you like it! :)**

* * *

Meagan28**- Thanks so much! I'm happy you like the story!**

**Hmm…you might be on to something there…but you'll have to wait to find out! ;)**

**I'm so glad you mentioned that! It totally slipped my mind so thanks for bringing that up! Hopefully my explanation at the bottom of the chapter covers it? :)**

* * *

Smokahontas**- Thank you so so much! I'm flattered! And am so happy you enjoy the story so much! :]**

**Yes, I definitely agree with your views on Ichiru's sanity, but I don't want to give too much away, so you'll have to wait to see what happens in subject to his death. ;)**

* * *

Snow Whites Poison Kiss**- So first off, I want to give you a HUGEEEE thank you for taking the time to write such long and lovely reviews! Reading your reviews literally made my day. :) *Gives biiiiig hug!***

**I absolutely love your enthusiasm and I sincerely hope you continue to read and review the rest of the story :)**

**That being said, I can't really answer many of your questions since as the chapters progressed I'm sure they were answered already but I'll try my best :]**

**So here goes:**

**-Yes Kaname! Gosh lighten up and give Zero a cookie!**

**- Good guess! It was in fact Ichiru! (dumdumdummmm!)**

**- Don't cry! Zero won't die just yet! **

**- Well Zero is the weaker twin, and has the disadvantage of having his heart condition and such, but I'm hoping that by the end of the chapter, you realized the real emotional reason Zero doesn't fight back is because he feels like he deserves it :(**

**-Thank you for your compliments! I'm flattered you like my writing so much! :) and even more flattered that it brought you to tears! Although sorry to make you cry :[ and, yess I totally get what you mean with the whole fb status thing :P**

**- don't worry, there's no rape or incest just yet my dear. (although I seem to remember Ichiru giving Zero a bloody kiss at some point… O.o )**

**-LOOOL! Awww! You yelled at your brother just to read the story? :) I'm touched! :P and *sigh* Zero is quite the stubborn one. But it's not just his pride that's holding him back, he also has a great fear for Kaname's safety because he would be putting him in danger if he stayed with him. (Since crazy Ichiru promised to kill anyone who helped Zero)**

**- ahaha! I'm glad you seem to be enjoying the major cliffie there! I hope you don't want to kill me that much when the next chapter shows that Ichiru isn't even there anymore…. -.-'**

**-I'm totally impressed your insight in the characters personalities! Especially the mentality for a very unstable Ichiru!**

**- As for Ichiru's supposed "on coming death"….wellll I don't want to give away too much as in if he survives or not, or if he gets a happy ending or not (And granted you are definitely one of the very few Ichiru fans out there) soooo, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait to find out! ;)**

**-hahahaha! I died when I read that. Yes, if Kaname does that to our poor innocent Zero he just might make him cry. :P**

**-Oh you're right about that. There will eventually definitely be a showdown between Kaname and Ichiru! …just not yet…. I'm going to be evil and drag it out juuuuuust a little bit longer.**

**- I'm glad to see you caught on to that…. ;) but yes, Ichiru is more clever than people give him credit for. (unfortunately) so I'm sure he has a few tricks up his sleeve.**

**- Awww! Thanks again so much for your encouraging comments! I'm truly flattered that this story has made you feel so strongly for the characters! I'm just really happy you're still enjoying it :)**

**Ps: don't worry, I have certainly have no intention of discontinuing this! Sometimes updates may get a little slow, but I will finish this to the end! (After all, I already have the sequel planned ;) )**

**-Well I'm assuming you just read the latest chapter where Kaname (FINALLY) catches on and realizes it was Ichiru all along! :o So that answers that. :P**

**- LOL! Well Kaname has no idea that Zero is working for Sara's club, so he is sadly looking for zero in all the wrong places.**

**-I would love to hear your ideas and opinions! :)**

**Yes, I definitely agree with what you're saying and I'll keep that in mind when I write out what I'm planning ;)**

**-Thanks again for all of your comments and I hope you continue reading! :D**

* * *

KxZ fan girl, ben4kevin, neko1998, rosaikibu, ShadowsOfPenAndPaper , Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san, Celestriz -

**Thank you all sooo much for your comments! Lool, well I'm so glad you're still enjoying the story! :D and I'll try my best to update soon**!

***heart***

* * *

Strawberry Sauce**- I'm so glad you are!**

**And Yes! He finally found out! Well he's not happy, that's for sure! :S**

**Haha! Well hopefully that will happen! ;)**

* * *

Meagan28**- Haha! Glad you're liking it! :P**

**And yes, you're definitely right about that! All will be revealed soon. ;)**

* * *

Snow Whites Poison Kiss**- LOL! Oh kiss-chan, Your enthusiasm always makes me smile :) :P**

**Well either way, I'm very happy you took the time to write any size review, so thank you very much. :)**

**Yes, I am actually incredibly proud that it made you feel so strongly! :]**

**Very true, he has informants everywhere… ;)**

**Yes! I can tell! You're very good at reading characters I think. :]**

**Aww true. :[ He really does just need help. (and a hug from you!) But every story's got to have that one character that everyone loves to hate, and unfortunately it's Ichiru… sadly I think you are the only one who doesn't want him dead :/**

**But we'll have to wait and see what happens. Sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm the one controlling the story since these characters always seem to have minds of their own and totally end up differentiating from where I originally planned to go… :P**

**Haha! That is random, but I've heard or weirder! :P Sometimes you've got to give the weirder ships a chance, since it's often the ones you wouldn't really think of that turn out to be the best ;P **

**Yes, Takuma is definitely a "go to-ie" kind of guy. :] He's just like the perfect supportive friend in my opinion.**

**OMG LOOL…yaoi house. :P**

**Aww, well thanks again for the awesome review hun, and I'm so glad you're enjoying my stories! :]**

**yess, there is definitely a sequel planned (and maybe even a spin off after that! :O )  
**

**And ps: Yes, I did just recently update Poisoned Love ;)**

* * *

Evanthe Beelzenef**- Sorry to have kept you waiting! :[ **

**Aww, thank you, I'm so glad you like it!**

**And Yess! Kaname is finally realizing his feelings. Now if only Zero would get on the same page too! ;P**

* * *

ZeamagiriZyenn**- Yess, me too! But there were a lot of reviews wondering what was taking so long since Kaname is suppose to be so clever. I figured they were right, and after 15 chapters I decided I had dragged it out long enough. :P But worry not, Ichiru still has to actually make an appearance, and I promise the excitement is just starting….! ;)**

**Aww, thank you! I'm so glad you like it! :)**

**Hmm, a continuation drabble? I hadn't thought of that but that's a good idea! Who knows? :]**

* * *

LuanRina**- YESS! The truth will finally be coming out!**

**Lool, I love your enthusiasm, and I'm so happy you're so into the story!**

**Aww, thank you! I'm so glad you liked it :) Heehee, they were pretty cute! :$ :]**

* * *

falcone90**- Thank you so much! I'm so happy I met your expectations and that you're enjoying the story :]**

**Haha! "weak but not weak" was exactly what I was going for so I'm glad you picked up on that! ;)**

**Thanks for saying that, I'm flattered you feel my writing is that good!**

**Oh Sara is definitely keeping secrets… :S**

**All will be revealed soon! ;]**

* * *

JezebelStrike**- Aww, well I'm glad I was your first of this fandom! KxZ is the best! And I'm sure you're going to love all their stories! ;)**

** Aww, well I'm glad I was your first of this fandom! KxZ is the best! And I'm sure you're going to love all their stories! ;)**

* * *

Celestriz**- Haha looove your enthusiasm! ;P**

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper**- Haha awww! Why thank you! So glad you enjoyed! And I'm happy you got the real "feel" of the party. :)**

**And OMG. I agree. Zero with anything pierced would look HOT! I can imagine him with an eyebrow or tongue piercing too…heh…yummy. ;)**

**And aww no! that sucks, but hey I bet your new piercing looks good! I'm sure it was worth that "punched-in-the-face-feeling" :P**

* * *

LuanRina**- Oh don't worry…he was. ;)**

**Haha! Hope the explanation met your standards! ;)**

* * *

DevilsfairyX **– Thanks so much! So glad you're enjoying it!**

* * *

Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san **– I agree! I can't wait for Kaname to have his showdown with Ichiru! Muahaha!**

* * *

Snow Whites Poison Kiss **– Haha! Aww sorry hun! I do know how you feel about getting too many stories to keep track of, but the problem with me is I keep getting inspired to write different things, and it just wouldn't fit into the plot with one of my current stories so I just end up making a new one! :$ It's definitely a bad habit of mine :/ but the weird thing is, usually after writing a chapter for a different story I get inspired to write more for my other stories too! So I guess in a way it's a good thing, because it inspires me to write more and therefore update sooner? It's all in the process my dear. ;)**

**Wow! No way! That's super cool that you can memorize Japanese songs so easily like that! I'm totally jealous cause I'd have to listen to it like a million times before I can pick up the words. *Sighs* Sometimes I wish I could just speak Japanese. :( but I totally agree! Lately I've been listening to more Japanese songs than English ones! :P**

**I'm always thrilled that you really seem to understand the depth the characters and what they're going through. :) Sometimes I'm not sure If I really portray them as accurately as I imagine their personalities to be in my head, but you seem to get it, so I'm glad. :)**

**OMG. I totally get where you're coming from! One time I accidently pushed a button and lost an ENTIRE essay I had typed up for school! I almost through my laptop out the window…**

**Haha, well I think Kaname can be a bit of a jerk, but that's why I love How Zero seems to be the only one who can pacify that. ;)**

**You don't like Sebastien?! :O Haha, yes it is funny that you like writing about the 2 characters you don't like! :P**

Hope you continue to enjoy the story!

* * *

neko1998 **– Well as you can see….Zero will be mad. Lol! But Hopefully Kaname did a good job in convincing him otherwise. ;)**

* * *

MidnightFunhouse **– Snow shoveling sucksss! And without a shovel?! Even worse! :[ glad you're still liking the story though. :]**

* * *

Evanthe Beelzenef**- thanks so much! :]**

**I know…Zero has the worst luck! -_-**

* * *

Kekeh**- *Sigh * I know. Zero always jumps to conclusions too quickly. But that's just because he's scared that the people he gets close to will betray him. :[**

* * *

ZarahJade **– So glad you liked it! :]**

* * *

animerocks30 **– ahaha! I love your enthusiasm! :P**

* * *

rosaikibu**- lol, well now that Kaname's got his Zero back, he's never going to let him go! ;)**

* * *

RedRosey18 **– So glad you're liking the story! And yes, I totally know what you mean. I was trying to let the characters really understand each other before they start telling their life story. But at the same time, I don't want to wait tooooo long, since I think it would be natural that once one secret ends up coming out, many more end up accidently following… ;)**

* * *

rosaikibu**- Thanks so much for all your comments! And I'm so happy you were enjoying all the latest updates! :D **

**As for your question at the end, when Zero and Ichiru were wrestling, Zero's blood got all over Ichiru so it looked like Ichiru was bleeding from a head injury too (even though he wasn't) That's why it was extra hard to tell them apart ;)**

**Hope you continue reading! :D  
**

* * *

RedRosey18**- Thank you so much for all the comments, and I'm so glad you enjoyed all the updates! :) (including the lemon! :P )  
Btw, Sorry about skipping a month, but if I didn't, I felt like there would a be a lot of extra chapters without anything really happening, since I felt like it would take Zero at least a month to actually open up.**

**Thanks again and I hope you continue reading! :)**

* * *

Strawberry Sauce**- I'm so happy you enjoyed all the chapters! And thank you for saying that! I was trying to portray their feelings just right when it came to their pasts, so I'm happy you felt like you could understand where they were coming from. :)**

**Aww, thanks for that! And yes, it's taken a while to get there, but Kaname and Zero finally reached an understanding where they both trust one another. :]**

**Good guesses on how Ichiru got in the house! You're pretty close with one of your guesses but I'm not going to say which one just yet… ;) Some mysteries are better left unsolved, but the answer to that will most likely be revealed in part 2 of the story later on ;)**

**Maria is a surprise villain for sure! In fact perhaps she had been working for Ichiru and her cousin all along… :O More on her situation will probably come up in part 2 so keep a look out for that ;)**

**Thanks for noticing how all the little details add up! :) Not everyone gets how everything links together so I'm glad you caught that!**

**Hope you continue reading! :)**

* * *

Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san**- LOOOL! Thanks so much for all of your excited comments! They seriously made me smile :D  
I'm so glad you enjoyed all the updates and I hope you continue reading! :)**

**Ps: Great guesses with Kaname getting in trouble and Shizuka teaming up with Rido! …You might just be on to something there ;)**

* * *

falcone90**- Thanks so much! And yess, their relationship finally went somewhere! :P**

** I'm glad you're enjoying all the updates and I hope you continue reading! :D**

* * *

Lady-San**- Thank you so much for saying that! I'm honored you think I've portrayed them that well, and it means a lot that you can relate to the part about dropping a wall around someone you trust. :]**

**I hope you continue to reading! :**)

* * *

MidnightFunhouse**- LOL! Thank you! I'll take that as a compliment…. :P**

* * *

ShadowsOfPenAndPaper**- Yess, that's why she wasn't in there :/ I find she always gets in the way of Kaname and Zero's relationship, so I usually find a way to make sure she doesn't interfere in all of my stories…but this time I still felt sad writing it :[ Poor thing, I agree, it was a terrible way to go! :(**

**Aww, sorry to make you cry…but I guess I'll take it as a compliment as being able to get you to really sympathize with the characters. :)**

** So I'm glad you're enjoying all the updates! :D**

**LOL! Don't worry, Ichiru will get his comeuppance.**

**So I had no idea what that was, but after reading your comment I googled it and read about what happens, and OMG! SOOOOO TERRIFYING! :O Although I could picture Ichiru doing the part about sewing someone's mouth shut, I think the rest of it was a little too much…even for him! :S And that was only from me reading the summary…I don't know how you managed to watch the actual movie, but I doubt I would want to go to the circus after that too! :/**

**Anyway, compared to all that, I understand how the method I chose may have been kind of boring, but I just couldn't picture Kaname doing anything too horrible with Zero in the room with him. :S**

**Sorry you had such a bad day at school :[ …and that this story didn't exactly help your mood, but I'm so glad you enjoyed part 1, and hope you continue reading part 2! :]**

* * *

pureblood-summer uchiha**- Thanks so much for saying that and I hope you enjoyed the update! :)**

* * *

perfectly flawed woman**- Haha, isn't it? ;) Thanks! And I'm glad you're liking the story! Hope you enjoyed the update! :)**

* * *

Evanthe Beelzenef**- Thanks so much for all the comments! :D and I'm so glad you enjoyed all the updates! :D  
LOL! Don't worry, we all get like that when it comes to Ichiru. ;)**

* * *

dardar1**- Thank you! And haha, it just might… ;)**

* * *

ItsRandom, platypuslover , KxZ fan girl kanamexzero fan **– Thank you so much for all your comments! :] I'm so happy you all enjoyed these past updates and I hope you all continue reading part 2! :D**


	27. PART 2 prologue

**~SAVIOR~**

**PART TWO: DARK ANGEL**

_**Summary: **_**Zero is finally coming to terms with his abusive past. But are things really as great as they seem, or is he closer to the edge than he ever was before? As Zero struggles to move forward, Kaname is forced to face his own demons as secrets he'd rather keep hidden end up coming to light. With Shizuka still on the loose and swearing revenge, Zero realizes this time it's his turn to be the strong one. But will the two really manage to stay together, or will problems from their dark pasts threaten to tear them apart? ****KxZ**

* * *

_**-Prologue-**_

He was perfection.

The epitome of innocence and purity.

Even though he didn't see himself that way…

I did.

He was my inspiration, my hope.

Because even after everything that he's been through,

He still managed to smile.

And Yet I,

who had gone through none of his physical pain…

hid behind my shadows and chose not to face them.

He wasn't the tainted one,

I was.

But what he needs to understand is that there is nothing I wouldn't do for the ones I care about!

…even if that means dragging myself deeper into the darkness.

He thought I was his savior,

But how could I have saved someone when I can't even save myself?

Floating In this black abyss of my sins,

I continue to sink deeper.

And instead of protecting him, I would only bring him down.

He was an angel,

The sun,

My light.

And me?

….I was just the dark.

* * *

_**Okay so part 2 is officially starting! I know the prologue is incredibly short, but it's supposed to be! It's only the prologue after all :P I promise chapter 1 will be better. That being said, in the past week, I have made 10 UPDATES for this story! with around 10 pages typed on word per chapter, that's around 100 pages in this week alone! And while I did have fun wrapping Fallen Angel up, all my other stories have sadly been taken the back seat :( So I think before I post the first chapter, I'm going to take a little break from this, and focus on updating a few of my other stories first.**_

_**But don't fret, I promise you'll have the first chapter to look forward to soon. :]  
So until next time!**_

_**Xoxo!**_


End file.
